Lithuania’s state auditor finds one in four key recommendations implemented late

A quarter of Lithuania’s most critical state audit recommendations are being implemented behind schedule, despite an overall improvement in timely compliance over the past three years, the State Audit Office reported Tuesday.

According to the office’s latest semi-annual review, 68 of 286 monitored recommendations face delays, with an average lag of nearly 20 months. Auditors attribute the setbacks primarily to prolonged legislative processes, public procurement procedures, and IT system development.

“Planning change is not enough—it must be executed properly, in a coordinated way, and on time,” said Ingrida Šegalovičienė of the State Audit Office. “This requires leadership from the government. Agency heads must take responsibility for results and ensure continuity of work, even when leadership changes. Only then can we deliver the real improvements people expect.”

The report, submitted to the Seimas (Lithuania’s parliament) and published biannually in March and September, highlights that one-third of planned reforms failed to materialise in the last six months alone. Delays mean that decisions intended to improve daily life are either postponed or abandoned entirely.