North Macedonia's State Audit Office on Public-Sector AI — EUR 6.1 Million Across 48 Projects, No Systematic Implementation

North Macedonia's State Audit Office (DZR) completed an IT performance audit titled "Artificial Intelligence: A Technological Transformation in Service of Citizens" on the potential use of AI in the public sector for 2019–2024, with the final report discussed at a public hearing in the Assembly on 16 February 2026. It examined the strategic framework, legal basis, human resources, digital infrastructure and personal-data protection.
Key findings: about EUR 6.1 million was invested in 48 AI-related projects over the period, yet these did not lead to substantial or systematic AI implementation in the public sector. The audit also notes a growing pool of data and knowledge that could support AI solutions if properly systematised and managed.
Recommendations: establish a clear strategic framework, create a central project registry, invest in modern IT infrastructure and provide continuous capacity building. At the hearing the Minister of Digital Transformation said the ministry already runs projects laying the groundwork for AI use; participants called for a national strategy, clear legislative rules, stronger institutional capacity and a high level of personal-data protection.
The office also took part in a 12-country parallel audit of AI in the public sector (led by the State Comptroller of Israel, May 2024–December 2025, announced 9 April 2026, 9 topics and 92+ questions), which found AI implementation at an early stage, with pilots not yet delivering significant gains in service quality, decision speed or cost savings, and uneven preparedness.
Evidence caveat: this documents the absence of results and is a cautionary case, not a success story; the full report's detailed figures beyond the headline numbers were not reviewed.

Read the full analysis: https://dzr.mk/en/node/4646