NIK President discussed the role of the Supreme Audit Office in the process of establishing the rule of law and objective audit, free of the impact of the executive power. NIK was established with the decree of Marshall Józef Piłsudski only three months after Poland regained its independence. Ever since NIK been a “watchdog” of public spending in Poland. NIK President thanked the USA Ambassador to Poland for the support and help it gave Poland in the 90’s. He mentioned the fight of Polish people for independent and liberated Poland on their way to independence. After all, in1981-1983 Marian Banaś served imprisonment for his “Solidarity” activity. In the light of the ongoing threats on the eastern border of Poland the care about democracy, the rule of law and freedom is even more important now than ever.
NIK has cooperated with the US Government Accountability Office for many years now. The bilateral meeting of the heads of both institutions is to be held this year in Poland.
NIK President Marian Banaś informed Ambassador Brzezinski about independence threats currently experienced by NIK auditors. They discussed the SIRAM mechanism launched at the request of NIK President by IDI – the Development Initiative of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). The SAI Independence Rapid Advocacy Mechanism is to help describe system limitations to NIK’s independence by an independent, international team of experts. The report results will be presented in February 2023.
