Our greatest asset is our people. That is why this year's annual overview for the Riigikogu focuses on the topic that concerns our people the most – the coronavirus crisis and related problems in both public administration and in the use of finances.

Over the past two years, the National Audit Office has prepared and published several audits, reviews and memoranda concerning different aspects of solving the coronavirus crisis. This overview summarises the most important of the problems for the members of parliament in a format that could serve as a lesson for the future. Both coping in the new waves of the coronavirus crisis and the need to prepare for new crises have been considered. We do not know yet when they are coming and what they are about, but, regrettably, they are coming.

The overview here is mainly based on observations made during the first and second waves of the coronavirus crisis on the functioning of the state, the decisions of the government and the measures implemented. Some of them have also been submitted to the Prime Minister and the Government of the Republic in an analysis that I prepared this summer and autumn at the request of the head of government.

As we are approaching the crest of the third wave, the lessons learned from the first and second waves concerning crisis management, governance, cooperation between and accountability of the crisis management agencies and working groups, and explaining the decisions to the public, do not seem to have lost their relevance.

Janar Holm
Auditor General