Newsletter Netherlands Court of Audit

With more and more government information being produced digitally, auditors can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the flood of raw data. But help is at hand. Data analytics creates new opportunities to detect hidden patterns in the data and make audits more efficient, reliable and transparent. Quantitative data analysis facilitates every phase of the audit so that all the available information can be audited.

Netherlands Court of Audit publishes online course on Data Analytics in Audits

The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have demonstrated how scarce raw materials and essential products can become. The Netherlands Court of Audit has investigated the strategic buffers maintained by the government and whether they can be drawn on in an emergency. The government keeps operational and strategic stocks of petroleum, medicines, medical aids and cash money. It does not keep strategic stocks of gas or food. Furthermore, little progress has been made with the designation of national groundwater reserves. 

Netherlands Court of Audit: strategic stocks not always kept

The Netherlands Court of Audit sent an updated calculation of natural gas revenue scenarios 1966-2021 to the House of Representatives on 27 September 2022.

Natural gas revenue figures and scenarios updated

In a letter to the House of Representatives of 28 September 2022, the Netherlands Court of Audit draws attention to a number of points and comments relating to central government’s tax revenues. The letter includes recommendations and lessons learned from recent audits of relevance to parliament’s debate of the draft budget for 2023.

Letter on central government tax revenues

The Netherlands Court of Audit sends letters every year with points for attention that parliament can consider in its debate of the ministers’ draft budgets. The first 2 letters, on the draft budgets of the Minister of Finance and the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, were sent to the House of Representatives and published on 28 September 2022.

First letters commenting on draft budgets 2023

Each year the Netherlands Court of Audit prepares letters with comments that parliament can use in its debate of the ministers’ draft budgets. On 6 October 2022, we sent letters to the House of Representatives regarding the draft budgets for 2023 of 10 ministers. The letters draw attention to specific aspects of each budget.

Comments on the ministers' draft budgets

• Sustainable forestry management | 8 December 2022

• Follow-up audit on the social results of revolving funds | 13 December 2022

• Reception capacity for asylum seekers | 19 January 2023

Current audits