Annual report - Rechnungshof: Here, the country can save tax money
Unused charging stations, unclear funding programs, unpopular study programs: Facing tight budgets and difficult budget negotiations, the State Audit Office of the state government urges focusing on truly important things. "This means living in the truest sense of the word. Not all wishes can be fulfilled anymore and therefore one has to decide: What is important now?", urged President Cornelia Ruppert in Stuttgart. In her annual report, the budget control examined whether the state is using tax revenues sensibly - and found some examples where savings could be made. Overview:
Expensive and partly unused charging stations
The State Audit Office sees savings potential in the construction of charging stations on state land. The government's goal is to provide one in every fourth parking space with a charging station by 2030, so that service vehicles can also be charged. 600 such charging points had been built by the end of 2022, 14,000 would be needed by 2030. This would cost around 78 million Euros according to calculations by the auditors. This goal could be reconsidered, according to Ruppert. "We have found that some charging stations are not in use", said Ruppert. The charging stations are operated by the Parking Space Company Baden-Württemberg (PBW). However, since the latter demands a business cost allowance from the state institutions, the charging costs for a driving distance of 500 kilometers per month are much higher than if a public charging station were used, criticize the auditors. Instead of setting up more charging stations, the State Audit Office recommends simple wall boxes, which the authorities could then operate themselves. In addition, the state is already well equipped with public charging stations.
Expensive master study programs with minimal demand
The State Audit Office also criticizes the state for offering too many master study programs that no one wants to enroll in. In a review of over 700 master study programs at universities and universities of applied sciences, it was found that more than 120 programs in the Southwest had fewer than 10 students enrolling annually. It is not economically justifiable to continue offering these programs permanently, criticize the auditors. "The resources allocated to these programs generate little benefit and are lacking in other areas, especially in the permanently overloaded areas", it says in the report.
Consistent digitalization
From the perspective of the auditors, the state still has a catch-up need in digitalization, especially in administration. For example, the state-owned forestry company ForstBW operates its IT systems with an external service provider and not with the state service provider BITBW. With regard to the global computer problems of the past week, being digitally sovereign and not dependent on service providers is important, according to the auditors.
Critically, the examiners also note that at many schools, teachers are responsible for IT support, although this task should be the responsibility of the school administrators, usually the municipalities. "When tasks that should be fulfilled by the school administrators are carried out by teachers, these tasks are missing in the classroom, particularly in the MINT subjects", criticized Ruppert.
Start-up Support without Use of EU Funds
The examiners see a need for improvement in the control of a start-up support program. The state allocated around 6.3 million Euros for their consultation between 2021 and 2023. However, the Ministry could not evaluate the success of the funding in retrospect, according to the examiners. In addition, the state waived the use of EU funds for the funding, which could have been obtained with a different design of the program. In addition, the Ministry had no real overview of which funding programs already existed for this topic. "We think that if the state spends money, it should also look: What are others doing? Are we acting redundantly here?", said Ruppert.
Budget Surpluses: Large Backlog in Construction Projects
The examiners also see potential savings in funds that have been planned but not yet paid out - the so-called budget surpluses. These have meanwhile risen to almost 10 billion Euros, according to the examiners. In particular, in the communal investment fund, many funds were planned for construction projects that did not flow - among other things, because craftsmen were missing or planning procedures were cumbersome. Here, more realistic approaches could be chosen during budget negotiations, according to Ruppert. "It brings nothing, to continue to introduce demands in the budget, while the implementation of the programs in construction is not getting over the hurdle."
- Despite having a surplus of over 10 billion Euros in budget surpluses, the State Audit Office suggests focusing on realistic approaches in construction projects in Baden-Württemberg, as many planned funds for projects remain unutilized due to missing craftsmen or complicated planning procedures.
- The University in Stuttgart, like several other educational institutions in Baden-Württemberg, offers numerous master study programs with minimal demand, leading to less benefit and resources being concentrated in other areas.
- In her annual report, President Cornelia Ruppert of the State Audit Office in Stuttgart urged focusing on essential matters and finding savings in areas such as the Lade pillar, where it was found that some charging stations built on state land are not in use, resulting in unnecessary costs.
- To foster digitalization, the State Audit Office recommends addressing weaknesses in administration, such as shifting the IT support task from teachers to school administrators in the MINT subjects, ensuring the state's digital sovereignty, and using EU funds in funding programs.
- The State Audit Office also criticizes the expensive start-up support program, as the Ministry was unable to evaluate the success of the funding in retrospect and did not use EU funds, missing opportunities to collaborate effectively and reduce costs.
