Audit: Southeastern Estonian regional development plan lacks real impact
A government plan to boost development in Southeastern Estonia has had little real impact, with most measures still only on paper, the National Audit Office said.
In a report released Monday, the National Audit Office (NAO) said the action plan, which promises special attention to the region, has not shaped ministries' decisions, and Southeastern Estonia continues to lag on key economic and demographic indicators.
"Giving special attention to the development of a political region is a political choice, but if it's decided to give such attention to a region, it shouldn't remain without practical substance and illusory," said Auditor General Janar Holm, warning of the growing pile of strategy papers offering "false hope" without impact.
The audit highlights persistent gaps. Southeastern Estonia ranks worst in the country for healthy life years and among the weakest for labor productivity. It also faces more power outages per capita and challenges with roads and high-speed internet.
While the plan outlines these problems, auditors said it largely repackages existing measures rather than creating targeted solutions. Links between problems, actions and outcomes remain unclear, potentially giving a misleading sense of progress.
Similar issues affect plans for Ida-Viru County and broader regional development, the report said, noting the NAO had already questioned their added value as early as 2015.
Implement them or scrap them
The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, which oversees the plans, has acknowledged their limited impact but has not formally raised the issue with the government. At the same time, it is exploring new approaches, raising concerns more ineffective strategy documents could emerge.
Auditors urged the government to either make the plans binding with measurable outcomes or scrap them.
The regional affairs minister acknowledged the current plan lacks authority to guide development and pledged to present revised proposals to the government cabinet by November.
In light of regional policy being one of the main tasks of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, the NAO's latest audit reviewed how the government's pledge to prioritize Southeastern Estonia has been implemented and found progress uneven despite years of policy focus.
Click here to read more about the report.
--
Editor: Aili Vahtla
