The Hunting and Wildlife Management Fund recorded a decrease in its revenues in 2013 compared to the previous year. The decrease in revenues, as noted in the report of the Auditor General of the Republic Odysseas Michailidis, is mainly due to the reduction of revenues from the issuance of hunting licenses and possession of firearms.
Regarding the staff, it is reported that on December 31, 2013 the Fund employed 92 people (81 permanent employees and 11 hourly workers), as in the previous year. Staff salaries and employer contributions amounted to € 3.893.302 compared to € 4.051.045 in 2012.
The Auditor General also points out the non-deposit in the revenues of the Penalty Fund collected by the courts. "It was again found that the Fund does not carry out any control and / or reconciliation of the fines imposed by the courts with the receipts of the fines transferred to the Fund by the courts, as a result of which it is not able to know whether all the fines imposed by the courts have been collected ", points out Mr. Michailidis in his report.
At the same time, the non-updating of the computerized court register is pointed out. "In order to monitor the cases of violations of its provisions on the Protection and Management of Wild Birds and Prey, a computerized register of cases is kept," he says. "However, as noted due to the untimely and complete updating of the Fund with the relevant information, the register has significant shortcomings and some data that do not seem to correspond to reality."
The Auditor General recommends that a comprehensive record of court cases be kept in order to identify cases that have been tried in a timely manner and the fines imposed and the money not deposited in the Fund.
The Auditor General refers to his report and partridge breeding. Particular reference is made to the issue of the care of specific partridge breeding cores entrusted to hunting associations, to which the Fund provides fodder, without approval and written instructions for the assignment of care and foraging, nor are the responsibilities and their duties. "In addition, it was observed that data are not kept which show the amount of feed provided to the hunting clubs as well as when and how it was used", says Mr. Michailidis and notes that procedures should be established for monitoring the feed versions, both to the provincial offices, as well as to hunting clubs.
Source: FILELEFTHEROS