The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) received two major distinctions at the annual conference of the Institute of Internal Auditors Greece (IIA Greece), reaffirming its sustained commitment to strengthening internal auditing, transparency and good governance.

In particular, the Institute presented an honorary award to AADE Governor George Pitsilis, recognising his contribution and consistent support for fostering a strong internal audit culture.

Upon receiving the award, Mr Pitsilis dedicated it to the Authority’s staff, stressing: “This award is not a personal one. Internal auditing and risk management are the two pillars of prevention within our organisation. Our philosophy is based on prevention, anticipation and making strategic decisions based on data.”

The AADE Internal Audit Directorate also received significant recognition, becoming the first unit in the Greek public sector to successfully complete an external assessment of its effectiveness and compliance with the IIA’s international internal auditing standards.

Accepting the relevant certificate alongside his team, the Director of AADE’s Internal Audit Directorate, P. Kokotas, noted that the decision to undergo an external assessment under the strictest international framework had been a strategic one. The aim, he said, was for AADE to continue setting an example in sound management, transparency and accountability.

As part of the conference, the AADE Governor also took part in a panel entitled “Lights on, let’s Go! From Warning Signals to Strategic Decisions!”, where he outlined how the Authority’s organisational and digital transformation is changing the way tax audits are conducted, shifting the focus from enforcement to prevention.

As a characteristic example, he cited myDATA, explaining how the use of digital data strengthens tax compliance and helps identify violations at an early stage.

“Before we moved to myDATA, I felt as though we were trying to collect water with a sieve. myDATA works preventively: it makes tax compliance the default and tax evasion the exception that stands out,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Mr Pitsilis stressed that AADE shapes and adapts its strategy through continuous communication and dialogue with businesses and accountants.

He also identified cybersecurity as one of the greatest challenges of the modern era, noting that in any crisis, the most difficult aspect is that its true scale and impact are not always known from the outset.