Audit Reveals Government Offices Too Large and Costly

The office space per employee is significantly larger than at comparable operations and there are no operational reasons that justify the size, writes the National Audit Office in a press release. Many employees work remotely to a large extent.

The annual cost for office use is estimated to be 10-15 billion kronor. The cost can be reduced by 2.5-4 billion kronor if the office space is reduced to 15 square meters per employee and the offices are located in less central locations, according to the National Audit Office's assessment.

The National Audit Office recommends the government to more clearly guide the authorities to choose cheaper and smaller office premises. The government should also consider a coordination for the authorities' procurement of premises when they are located on the same location.