The Office of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman held a reveal conference for the 2022 local government audit report.
The conference, which took place in the Jerusalem office of the State Comptroller's Office, was attended by the Chairman of the Association of Local Authority Auditors, the Senior Director of the Local Authority Audit Division at the Ministry of Interior – and by auditors of local authorities from around the country.
State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman, and Director of the Local Government Audit Division Miri Razin, reviewed before the participants the 16 reports published as part of the annual report and which covered a range of topics, using a wide variety of methodologies.
Thereafter, audit managers in the division presented some of the reports published, including reports on: The treatment of dangerous buildings; The local authorities' treatment of drug and alcohol phenomena in their jurisdiction; Waste disposal and landfill; Prevention of fraud and embezzlement in local authorities; And the Harish Local Council.
The auditors of the local authorities also presented various reports, on the subjects of earthworks, LED lighting in the authorities, and local committees in regional councils and welfare after-school childcare facilities.
In the vision outlined upon taking office, Comptroller Engelman emphasized that the state audit must preserve and guarantee the rights of diverse populations – including persons with disabilities. Therefore, the reveal day was concluded with a glimpse of the report that will be published next year, and that will address this topic.
The former Commissioner for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ahiya Kamara, gave a fascinating lecture titled "Equality of rights for persons with disabilities – does Israel have reason to be proud?" – that was followed by a panel on the needs and struggles of brothers and sisters of persons with disabilities with challenges, difficulties and the responses given to them by the local authority, the state and the third sector.