Other publications

The National Audit Office of Finland (NAOF) reports annually on the operation and oversight of the Finnish Transparency Register. The first annual report describes in detail the events of the operational year 2024 of the Transparency Register.

The NAOF's audit and monitoring activities support the sustainability and stability of public finances and promote the transparency and cost-effectiveness of government. In this sustainability report, we disclose in greater detail how we act responsibly in society and how we reduce our own footprint.

The NAOF's audit and monitoring activities support the sustainability and stability of public finances and promote the transparency and cost-effectiveness of government. In this sustainability report, we disclose in greater detail how we act responsibly in society and how we reduce our own footprint.

The weak business cycle, high inflation and increasing public debt make it difficult to determine an appropriate fiscal stance. According to spring 2023 forecasts, the development of Finland's general government finances is worrying. The General Government Fiscal Plan for 2024–2027 meets the requirements of the decree related to it and is based on a realistic economic forecast.

This report presents the main messages of the National Audit Office of Finland (NAOF) to support the preparation of the Government Programme for the new parliamentary term. The messages relate to such key topics in economic and administrative policy that will be relevant to the achievement of balanced general and central government finances and to sustainable management of central government finances in the coming years. The main messages are based on the key findings and conclusions of the NAOF's fiscal policy monitoring as well as the audits and their follow-ups published by the NAOF during the parliamentary term 2019–2023.

Increasing incentives to work by reforming social security and earned income taxation has not significantly altered the size of automatic fiscal stabilizers in Finland.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a wide impact on the management of public finances. The deviation from the spending limits decided by the Government due to the security policy situation is justified, but the deviation implemented has been defined broadly. It is important to bend the growth curve of the debt ratio even in uncertain circumstances, and therefore the Government should update its sustainability roadmap as soon as possible.

International climate finance provided as part of Finland's development cooperation should also promote gender equality and help empower women and girls. Generally, climate finance projects have a positive impact on the status of women and girls in the partner countries. However, there are major differences in the impact of projects, and the information available on the impact also varies. This briefing paper is mainly based on the National Audit Office’s performance audit ‘Finland's international climate finance - Steering and effectiveness’ (6/2021), which examines the prerequisites for the effectiveness of Finland’s international climate finance.

The economic, social, and ecological sustainability of mining has been a subject for discussion in Finland, in the EU, and around the world. All these aspects of sustainable mining can be important in view of the sustainable management of central government finances.

The objectives the Government set for general government finances in the General Government Fiscal Plan of spring 2021 meet the requirements laid down in legislation. However, the decisions included in the plan concerning the central government spending limits undermine the credibility of the spending limits system. At present, the most important national fiscal policy objective is the Government's objective to bend the growth curve of government debt in relation to GDP. When the employment measures decided so far during the government term are assessed in relation to the debt objective presented in the sustainability roadmap, they account for only a small part of the targeted overall improvement.

Governments around the world have spent huge sums on economic recovery following the pandemic. Many stimulus packages also aim to support climate action. But how can we make sure that the climate really benefits? Climate finance tracking methods provide one way of assessing and monitoring the allocation and impacts of funding. They can also support decision-making and improve the effectiveness of climate policy. A report commissioned by the National Audit Office of Finland contains recommendations for developing the tracking methods.