PRESS RELEASE
25
th
May 2016
PUBLIC FINANCES AND ACCOUNTS
CERTIFICATION OF THE FRENCH CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR
2015
The
Cour des comptes
– France’s supreme audit institution – hereby issues its audit
opinion of the French central government financial statements for 2015, prepared in
accordance with Article 58 of the Constitutional Bylaw on Budget Acts (LOLF).
The
Cour des comptes
certifies that the French central government financial
statements for 2015 decreed on 17 May 2016 are, according to the applicable
accounting rules and principles, fairly presented, and give a fair and accurate view of
the central government’s financial situation and assets, subject to five material
qualifications.
France is one of the few euro area countries to have committed through the LOLF to
certification of government accounts by a totally independent external auditor. This
approach is a distinct advantage.
A continuing improvement in the reliability of the central government’s
financial statements
Despite persistent difficulties caused mainly by the financial information system and the
organisation of management processes, the government made progress in 2015.
This progress enabled the
Cour des comptes
to remove 43 sections of the five qualifications
issued for the 2014 financial statements. None of the five qualifications could be removed
altogether, however.
Five material qualifications to the 2015 accounts
1. The central government’s financial information system is still insufficiently suited to
accrual accounting and auditing requirements.
2.
Ministerial internal controls and audits are not effective enough.
3.
The accounting of the central government’s tax income is still affected by uncertainty and
significant limitations.
4. Considerable uncertainty continues to hamper the identification and valuation of fixed
assets and inventories managed by the Defence Ministry.
5. The valuation of the central government’s financial assets is subject to significant
uncertainty.
To read the full report click here
PRESS CONTACT :
Ted Marx
Head of Communication
T
+33 (0)1 42 98 55 62
tmarx@ccomptes.fr
Denis Gettliffe
Head of Press Relations
T
+33 (0)1 42 98 55 77
dgettliffe@ccomptes.fr
@Courdescomptes
ccomptes