14/04/2022 09:05
Cyprus and Greece signed on Wednesday a Cooperation Memorandum on training public servants, in the context of which the accreditation of Cypriot internal auditors will take place.
The Memorandum was signed between Greece’s National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government and the Cyprus Academy of Public Administration, at the Ministry of Finance, in the presence of Cypriot Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides and Greek Interior Minister Makis Voridis, who is paying Cyprus a visit.
In statements after the Memorandum was signed, Petrides said it covers “a broad cooperation spectrum between the two countries.”
The Greek government, he noted, “is a government of reform, which is going ahead quickly with reshaping the local administration and the public service.” Cyprus, he added, “is also a country which is going ahead with such reforms.”
Therefore, he pointed out, “we consider this exchange of expertise and ideas between the two countries as very important.”
Petrides referred in particular to the fact that Greece has already accredited its public sector internal auditors, adding that “we wish to learn from Greece, because we also want to go ahead with this very important step, to accredit our internal auditors following a stringent evaluation, in the same way that it is done in other countries.”
He pointed out that “we have strengthened Cyprus’ internal audit system but we want to take more steps forward.”
At the same time, the Finance Minister referred to a proposal put on the table by the Greek Interior Minister in the context of a European initiative of having an exchange of staff between the two countries for educational reasons. “It is something we will work on together until June in order to be able to go ahead with a concrete cooperation,” he said.
On his part, Voridis said that “one of the greatest challenges public administrations are faced with in Europe is the digital revolution, the digital reform.”
“Public servants must “be educated, trained, adapt and meet the demands of this digital revolution, this digital reform which takes place across the entire world.”
He noted that the two institutions in charge of training of public servants will continue and deepen their cooperation.
Greece’s Interior Minister also expressed his satisfaction about the bilateral agreement reached during today’s consultations of organising the exchange of public servants for the purpose of gaining different administrative experiences, observing best practices, bettering their administrative experience and therefore offering better services to the public. It is he explained something which is being discussed at European Commission and EU Council level, adding that it would be like an “Erasmus” for public servants.
“In my view, this is an important step,” he noted.
Referring to the accreditation of internal auditors, he stressed that internal audit is very important for the integrity of public administration and in order to deal with corruption at a preventive stage.
Another issue covered by the Memorandum is the accreditation of digital skills of public servants, he said.