At the National Centre RUSSIA, a conference of heads of control and accounts chambers of administrative centres of Russian regions was held

On February 28, in Moscow, at the National Centre RUSSIA, a conference of heads of audit chambers of the administrative centres of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation took place as part of the "Municipal Dialogue" project by the All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government (VARMSU) and the Executive Office of the President of the Russian Federation.

The presidium included Sergei Shtogrin, Auditor of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation and member of the Council of the Union of Municipal Audit Institutions (MKSO); Mikhail Kuzmin, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and member of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education; Vladimir Katrenko, Chairman of the Council of the Union of MKSO; and Alexander Mordvintsev, Chairman of the Control and Accounts Chamber of Volgograd and Chairman of the Union of MKSO.

During the plenary session, experts discussed issues related to the development of municipal audit chambers, the efficient use of budgetary funds, the digital transformation of audit activities at the municipal level, and increasing the effectiveness of audit institutions. The discussion also covered interaction with municipalities, a unified approach to the work of audit chambers, and external municipal financial control bodies in municipal and urban districts.

"The passage of time brings new priorities: accounting and oversight at the municipal level are coming to the forefront. National, regional, and municipal projects, the construction of schools, roads, and kindergartens — all of these require the support of financial experts, particularly audit institutions," stated Mikhail Kuzmin, Deputy of the State Duma and member of the State Duma Committee on Science and Higher Education.

The heads of municipal audit chambers shared their experiences during the VARMSU section "Municipal Practices Workshop."

"Joint initiatives by VARMSU and the Union of Municipal Control and Accounts Institutions to consolidate resources are aimed at achieving the main goal — improving the well-being of our citizens," said Vladimir Katrenko, Chairman of the Council of the Union of MKSO.

As emphasized by Lyudmila Balasheva, Chair of the Control and Accounts Chamber of the city of Krasnodar, such meetings provide an opportunity to exchange best practices in monitoring road repairs, the construction of educational institutions, and identifying issues that municipalities cannot resolve without cooperation with federal authorities.

The final part of the conference was a strategic session, where participants developed proposals to update existing legislation. As noted by Irina Guseva, Co-Chair of VARMSU, the All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government continues to unite the country's municipal community.

Following the conference, a resolution will be drafted, incorporating all initiatives from municipal audit institutions across the country.