In a frank effort to strengthen the fight against financial abuse and corruption, the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Bulgaria (PORB) and the Public Financial Inspection Agency (PFIA) signed a key Cooperation Agreement. This strategic move, announced by the Prosecutor's Office, aims to increase the effectiveness of state institutions in protecting public funds and limiting opportunities for illegal practices.
The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov and PFIA Director Lyudmila Petkova, who formalized the framework for future, closer interaction. The main goal of the agreement is to optimize operational cooperation between the two institutions, aimed at countering abuses related to the expenditure of public funds and violations in the field of public procurement.
Under the new arrangements, the PORB and PFIA will work in sync to exchange information and expert opinions. Their joint efforts will be aimed at preparing proposals for legislative changes that will strengthen the protection of public financial interests and improve the regulation of public procurement. In addition, the cooperation will also cover the identification of risk areas where corruption, fraud, and other violations affecting both national and European public finances are most likely.
One of the pillars of the new agreement is:
- Holding regular bilateral meetings that will ensure continuous dialogue and coordination between the two institutions.
- If necessary, specialized training is also provided, aimed at increasing the capacity of experts and investigators to deal with increasingly complex financial fraud schemes.
This strategic partnership comes against the backdrop of increased inspections in the health sector. We recall that at the end of last month, the PFIA, together with other key state structures such as the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the State Agency "National Security" (SANS), and the Executive Agency "Medical Supervision", launched large-scale inspections in hospital facilities. These extraordinary and complex inspections aim to establish the legality of the activities performed and reported in hospitals, with each institution working within the scope of its competence.
Experts are watching the development of cooperation between the Prosecutor's Office and the PFIA with interest. This new approach emphasizes the desire of state bodies to use their full potential in the fight against economic crime and to ensure greater transparency in the expenditure of taxpayers' money.