National Audit Office of Finland

National Audit Office (abbreviated NAO, Finnish: Valtiontalouden tarkastusvirasto (VTV)^[3]) oversees the management of public finances in Finland and monitors fiscal policies as well as election and party funding. It operates as the supreme external auditor in connection with the Parliament. Independent audit work ensures that state funds are used in accordance with the decisions of the Parliament, lawfully and effectively, and that financial policy is managed in a sustainable manner. The tasks of the NAO are defined in the Finnish Constitution.^[4]

The Parliament appoints the Director General of the National Audit Office for a term of six years. Since January 2022, the Director General of the Audit Office has been Sami Yläoutinen.^[5] At the end of 2022, the office had 145 employees.^[6] The main office of the agency is located in Helsinki, with another office in Oulu.^[7] The office premises in Helsinki have been located in Ruoholahti since 2017 at Porkkalankatu 1.^[8]

The National Audit Office's area of operation includes the Government and ministries, state agencies and institutions, funds outside the state budget, state-owned enterprises and companies, grants and subsidies to municipalities, businesses, and other organizations, as well as transfers between Finland and the European Union. The Audit Office does not audit the finances of the Parliament, funds under the responsibility of the Parliament, the Bank of Finland, or the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.