The SAO SR audited 37 towns and municipalities as part of a nationwide audit focused on the processes of individual modernisations of public lighting. The current poor state of public lighting systems is related to the financial possibilities of cities and municipalities. As part of the audit, the pre-implementation phase, the implementation phase, as well as the post-implementation phase were compared with four methods of financing. Each of the phases of the process showed different deviations from the established good practice, depending on the method of procurement and financing.

For example, in the first phase, it was not possible to determine the price of individual lamps or the price of electricity supplied. The use of the concession institute was not applied in accordance with the law and the principle of economy. In the lighting-technical study, which entered into the decision on the scope of the reconstruction, the forecast of electricity savings did not coincide with the actual savings achieved. Weaknesses in the area of ??control of project implementation were also found in the post-implementation process. No post-implementation lighting-technical measurement was performed, which is crucial for the fulfilment of Slovak technical norms.

Deficiencies were also found in the implementation of the maintenance plan in order to guarantee the parameters of the lightening devices and minimise maintenance costs. A key factor for achieving the planned savings is also the area of impact on electricity supply prices, where the SAO SR found several shortcomings. Based on the audit results, the SAO SR, in cooperation with the Technical University in Košice, defined the optimal procedure for solving the modernisation and reconstruction of public lighting, in an effort to unify the processes of public lighting reconstruction and help municipalities and cities in the future.

The full text of the press release about this topic in Slovak language is available here. Use the Google icon in the top bar for automatic translation into the desired language.