EUROSAI 78 Studies and other articles The COVID-19 pandemic had its outbreak in December 2019 and it has since been an ongoing struggle around the world, as well as in Albania. Viral diseases are considered to be the deadliest ones as they rapidly take lives and spread continuously. Their ability to easily evolve and adapt to new environments makes them a serious life threat not only to the public but also to health institutions that are making all the efforts to prevent the ongoing spread of viral diseases. In countries with a low economic level, the pandemic has been destructive to the point of survival or impossibility of economic growth. The role of SAIs is of high importance as it pushes and guarantees an effective response in how the government manages public finances and ensures transparency and accountability. The various repercussions of the crisis raise a question about the role of SAIs in responding to the pandemic, as regards both meeting citizens’ expectations and ensuring the transparency and accuracy of financial information relating to pandemic spending. 1 Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2011, page 9 The role of SAIs is of high importance as it pushes and guarantees an effective response in how the government manages public finances and ensures transparency and accountability Are our countries and Supreme Audit Institutions ready to face the global crisis? The International Disaster Database distinguishes two generic categories for disasters (natural and technological). The natural disaster category is divided into 5 sub-groups, which in turn cover 12 disaster types and more than 30 sub-types.1 Natural disasters can cause a global crisis, just as COVID-19, and they are a result of geophysical, hydrological, climate-related, meteorological or biological phenomena. Aulona Jani Director, Department of Central Government Auditing Aulent Guri Senior Auditor, Department of Performance SAI of Albania ALSAI CONTRIBUTION IN GOOD GOVERNANCE REGARDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Figure 1. Natural disaster classification Natural disasters Biological • Epidemic - Viral Infectious Disease - Bacterial Infectious Disease - Parasitic Infectious Disease - Fungal Infectious Disease - Prion Infectious Disease • Insect Infestation • Animal Stampede • Earthquake • Volcano • Mass Movement (Dry) - Rockfall - Landslide - Avalanche - Subsidence • Flood - General Flood - Flash Flood - Storm Surge/ Coastal Flood • Mass Movement (Wet) - Rockfall - Landslide - Avalanche - Subsidence • Storm - Tropical Cyclone - Extra-Tropical Cyclone - Local Storm • Extreme Temperature - Heat Wave - Cold Wave - Extreme Winter Condition • Drought • Wildfire - Forest Fire - Land Fire Disasters used in this publication Hydro-Meteorological Geophysical Hydrological Meteorological Climatological Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2011, page 9, http://cred.be/sites/default/files/2012.07.05.ADSR_2011.pdf
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