How the tax payers' monies are mis-spent

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Public accounts watchdog calls for strengthening grants governance​

Technology such as data analytics and artificial intelligence can be used to detect fraud, the Public Accounts Committee suggested in its latest report.


Jan 21, 2025

SINGAPORE – Lapses in the management of grants continue to be a recurring finding in the yearly audit of ministries and agencies, said Parliament’s public accounts watchdog, as it called for more to be done to strengthen the administration and disbursement of grants.

Technology such as data analytics and artificial intelligence can be used to detect fraud, the Public Accounts Committee suggested in its latest report released on Jan 21.

It also emphasised the importance of coordination and risk assessment when designing grant schemes to ensure a balance between controls and responsiveness.

The committee, which comprises eight MPs, is tasked with scrutinising how public funds are spent, and tracks what government agencies have done to correct irregularities in using the funds.

To this end, it reviewed the Auditor-General’s report for the 2023-2024 financial year, focusing on weaknesses in procurement and contract management, as well as lapses in the management of parenthood support grants at the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA).

It also looked at three broader issues that could have an impact on spending, financial governance and controls in the public sector: grants management, social spending on seniors, and the resilience and recovery capability of government IT and digital systems.

In the course of its inquiry, the committee received written replies from eight ministries – the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance (MOF), Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of National Development, MSF, Ministry of Trade and Industry – and the Smart Nation Group (SNG), which comes under the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.

It also held four meetings and heard oral representations by the permanent secretaries from MOF, MOH and SNG.

On the issue of grants management, the committee said given that government spending on grants is likely to increase in the future, it is crucial to improve grants governance at the whole-of-government level.


MOF informed the committee that it is not possible to prevent and detect all grant fraud, lapses and abuse due to the volume and complexity of grants given out, human error, and the changing modus operandi of fraudsters.

The ministry also said there are trade-offs between speed of disbursement, controls and costs.

MOF added that there is no need to withhold funding for new schemes, as the overall system was functioning well and there were no systemic issues.

To improve governance, the ministry said it implemented a grants governance framework in 2020 that provides a consistent set of guidelines to agencies that are giving out grants.

In addition, it has developed a fraud risk management checklist together with the Commercial Affairs Department, that agencies can use to assess risks and detect fraud and abuse of grants. It also worked with the Government Technology Agency to develop network analytics that agencies can use to perform due diligence checks.

West Coast GRC MP Foo Mee Har, who chairs the committee, said in a statement: “We note MOF’s assurance that the overall system is functioning well, with no systemic issues.

“Nevertheless, the Government should continue to strengthen grant administration and leverage data analytics and technology to enhance fraud detection capabilities.”

On social spending on seniors, the committee noted that $7.4 billion was spent on senior-specific schemes from financial years 2020 to 2023.

It urged the Government to continuously assess the schemes to ensure that funds are accurately disbursed and reach the intended recipients, and that desired outcomes are achieved.

On the resilience of government IT and digital systems, the committee raised concerns about the increased occurrences of cyber attacks globally. It added that as Singapore progresses in its digitalisation efforts, it has become even more crucial that government data and technology infrastructure are resilient against cyber attacks, and agencies have service recovery and business continuity plans in place.

The committee also urged the Government to take measures to keep citizens safe in the digital world, and ensure access to government services for those who are less digital-savvy, such as seniors.

In its review of the Auditor-General’s report, the committee called for stronger oversight over projects outsourced to outside consultants and contractors.

It added that agencies need to be held accountable to ensure that services are delivered and payments are made only for work done.

The committee had also looked at the thematic audit on parenthood support measures that the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) had flagged.

The measures were administered by MSF and ECDA, and some $4.55 billion was disbursed under these schemes during the audit period from April 2021 to end-June 2023.

The AGO had found that there was a misuse of government-paid parental leave and withdrawals from the Child Development Account to buy unapproved items, including adult-size sunglasses.

The committee said MSF is enhancing its fraud detection capabilities, and will automatically route claims with irregularities for manual verification. Legislative changes are also expected by June 2025 to address fraud and abuse of the leave system.

In addition, the committee said MSF has lodged a police report against three of the 32 individuals deemed to have highly suspicious claim behaviour. For the remaining cases, MSF has requested further supporting documents from employers, and will recover overpayments if any.

On the lapses and weaknesses highlighted by the AGO, Ms Foo said: “It is important for agencies to examine and understand the underlying root causes, so that effective action plans are developed and implemented to prevent recurrence.

“The committee noted that there continues to be common lapses observed across different agencies. For such areas, it would be important for central agencies to consider the systemic improvements that should be implemented at the central level.”

 

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NUS book-dumping incident: Students also told to destroy DVDs of classic films​

The Yale-NUS College Library is said to have a collection of around 1,600 to 2,000 DVDs, and more than 100 discs were allegedly destroyed.

May 27, 2025

SINGAPORE – Student associates working at the Yale-NUS College Library were told by staff to destroy more than 100 DVDs in April, weeks leading up to the college’s closure.

One student associate who requested anonymity said she “felt very pained and sad” when she was asked to destroy the DVDs on April 24 and 25. She told The Straits Times she was given verbal instructions to use a penknife to make four deep cuts on every disc to ensure they could not be read.

Most of the DVDs she was tasked to destroy were films, including DVDs from The Criterion Collection, an American company that restores and distributes important classic and contemporary films. Criterion issues are coveted and collected by film buffs because they are usually packaged with extra material such as director interviews and critical essays.

She said: “A lot of them were still in good condition and they could have definitely found a new home. I wasn’t very comfortable with the scratching task too.”

Another student associate said she was given a cart of at least a hundred DVDs in early April and was tasked to scratch them with a penknife. She said: “I was a bit fed up about the whole thing, to be honest, and was very reluctant to contribute my time to these efforts.”

Associate Professor Natalie Pang, university librarian at National University of Singapore (NUS), told ST: “The rehoming of audiovisual collections is subject to different considerations from that of books. Audiovisual materials are governed by licensing and copyright regulations, which restrict redistribution. We have integrated the DVDs we need into our collection. The DVDs which we were unable to rehome were those which could not be redistributed.”

She did not comment on how many DVDs were destroyed.


A student associate who worked at the Yale-NUS College Library shared a photograph she took of the scratches she was instructed to make on DVDs with a penknife.

PHOTO: ST READER

Associate Professor Andrew Hui, founding faculty member at Yale-NUS College, told ST it was “gut-wrenching” to hear about the order to scratch the DVDs. In 2012, the literature professor had personally requested films in the Criterion Collection to be made available in the library as academic resources.

He said: “As streaming platforms are notoriously unstable, licensing rights shift and digital catalogues are curated by commercial algorithms rather than scholarly values, physical media ensures long-term access to films that shape our collective memory.”


Prof Hui, who was also head of studies for literature at Yale-NUS, called the move “a slow-motion act of cultural amnesia”. “In a century where the past can vanish with a click, to destroy them – and to order undergraduates to do so (when they should be watching and learning from them) – is, for a humanist like me, a tiny but terrible act against art.”

A former Yale-NUS librarian, who spoke to ST on condition of anonymity, estimated that the library had a collection of around 1,600 to 2,000 DVDs.

This revelation comes after NUS apologised on May 21 for an “operational lapse” which led to the destruction of 500 physical books.

NUS had originally planned to dispose of 9,000 books, but halted the process for the remaining 8,500 books

after photos and videos of employees from a recycling company loading books onto a truck circulated online on May 20

. It drew sharp criticism from alumni and members of the public who called the disposal wasteful and distressing.

Photos and videos of a recycling company loading the books onto a truck on May 20 were shared on social media, drawing criticism from alumni who called the disposal wasteful and distressing.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MS LEE JIAYING

NUS will now be organising a giveaway on campus for the remaining 8,500 books from May 28 to June 9.

Speaking to the media on May 21, Prof Pang said the university will introduce a

new process for excess books

. Under the new process, NUS will reach out “more extensively” to faculty and other academic libraries, and will hold book adoption fairs for its students and alumni, as well as the public.


The incident comes after the final weeks of Yale-NUS College’s existence, as its last cohort graduated on May 14. The liberal arts institution, founded in 2011 through a partnership between Yale University and NUS, is being closed following an announcement in 2021 of its merger with NUS’ University Scholars Programme.

 

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NUS apologises for ‘operational lapse’ in disposal of Yale-NUS library books, promises review​

Photos and videos of a recycling company loading the books onto a truck on May 20 were shared on social media, drawing criticism from alumni who called the disposal wasteful and distressing.

May 21, 2025

SINGAPORE - The National University of Singapore (NUS) has apologised for not offering excess Yale-NUS College library books to students before they were sent for disposal, calling it an “operational lapse”.

In a statement on May 21 – a day after photos and videos of employees from a recycling company loading bags of books onto a truck were circulated – NUS university librarian Natalie Pang said the excess books were offered only to faculty members, and not students. The statement did not mention if any, or how many, of the books disposed on May 20 were saved.

“We understand later that many students are interested in having these books, and we would have usually acceded to their requests,” Associate Professor Pang said.

“We did not do so on this occasion and we apologise for the operational lapse.”

She added that the majority of the books from the Yale-NUS College library have been rehomed within NUS libraries. The Straits Times has asked for the number of these books.

Prof Pang said that to maintain the university’s library collection, excess books are “routinely rehomed” in other libraries or given away to faculty and students on certain occasions. “Books which are not taken up are then sent for recycling, in line with common library practices,” she said.

“In view of the strong interest from students, we are now organising a giveaway on campus so that the excess books can find a new home,” she said. ST understands that there are about 8,500 remaining books.

“Going forward, we are reviewing our process and will take proactive steps to distribute excess books to the NUS community and the wider public so that they can benefit as many people as possible,” Prof Pang added.

A former senior Yale-NUS librarian, who wanted to remain anonymous, told ST that the library’s collection size is estimated to be between 40,000 and 45,000.


Photos and videos of employees from a recycling company loading the books onto a truck on May 20 had circulated among Yale-NUS alumni and were later shared on social media, drawing sharp criticism from alumni who called the disposal wasteful and distressing.

The books, tightly packed in translucent white plastic bags, were seen stacked in large quantities along the pavement at the drop-off point of the college, located next to NUS’ University Town in Kent Ridge.

The incident drew questions and concern from alumni over what they saw as a waste of academic resources.

It also prompted a petition on Change.org, addressed to NUS leadership, stating that the “immediate priority is to support the retrieval of as many books marked for this round of disposal, and prevent future instances of similar wastage”.

Piles of plastic bags containing books were spotted outside the Yale-NUS College library on May 20, prompting questions and concern from alumni.

PHOTO: ST READER

Alumni have asked for clarity on the number and financial value of the books that were disposed, and how many were successfully retrieved, as well as whether alternative methods of disposal were considered.

They have also asked who were consulted prior to the decision to dispose the books, and about standard operational procedures to ensure proper handling and disposal of academic resources, plus measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.


“We express deep concern over the planned disposal of a significant number of academic materials that were in good condition,” the petition said.

“While efforts may be under way to retrieve these materials, the initial intent to dispose of them raises serious questions on the responsible use of money and resources, NUS’ commitment to sustainability, and the value placed on academic texts that have supported past students and may continue to benefit present students of NUS.”

As at 11am on May 21, the petition had close to 600 signatures.

One Yale-NUS alumnus, who requested full anonymity, called Asia Recycling on the morning of May 21. He said the books are likely to have been already destroyed.

According to the alumnus, the employee of the recycling company said he had tried checking with Green Orange Enviro, the company that took the bags of books from Yale-NUS, because students had called him to check on the books.

The alumnus added that NUS did reach out to the recycling company to try to get the books back, but it was too late.

 

[True Believer]

Many of us have seen overhead bridges and other public projects constructed, then dismantled to make way for some other structure, before being deemed necessary again, and erected within a short span of a few years. This shows poor coordination between different govt bodies, and an utter waste of taxpayers' money.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Auditor-General flags lapses by govt agencies, including possible falsification in PUB documents​

In one case a police report was made over possible irregularities in the quotations for a PUB contract.

Summary

• AGO's audit (2024-2025) found falsified documents in two PUB contracts, one involving $6.75M waterscape works and another a $7.95M biocide supply.
• The audit highlighted 25 significant lapses, including contract management, revenue handling, IT controls, and R&D grants, urging greater attention in these areas.
• MOF is updating training and agencies will tighten processes; serious action will be taken against those undermining government integrity and accountability.

AI generated

Sep 09, 2025

SINGAPORE - Singapore’s public accounts watchdog has flagged lapses and irregularities in its annual audit of government ministries and agencies, including instances where contract documents were altered to give the impression that required checks had been carried out.

One case of falsified documents involved a PUB contract, valued at $7.95 million, to supply biocide for midge control, said the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) in its report for the 2024 to 2025 financial year.

Under the contract, the contractor had to provide certificates of analysis from an accredited laboratory to show that the biocide met required specifications.

The AGO found tell-tale signs of possible irregularities in the soft copy of all six certificates that the national water agency submitted for audit.

These problematic soft copies had different version numbers, formatting and information from the original hard copies provided by the contractor, and “sought to give the false impression that checks on the active ingredient level had been performed… and that PUB had accepted goods that met its contractual requirements”, said the AGO in its report released on Sept 9.

“Such actions cast doubt on the authenticity of the other documents furnished for audit and impede the work of AGO,” the watchdog said.

In a statement, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said PUB has launched an internal investigation into the matter, and “will be taking the necessary actions, including referring the case to the police if there are grounds to do so”.

PUB separately said disciplinary actions have been taken against the officers involved, without elaborating. ST has asked PUB for details of the actions meted out.

The agency also said it had conducted thorough checks and confirmed the quality of the stocks it received earlier. It added that it has quality control processes in place, like testing by accredited laboratories.

In another lapse, the PUB made a police report over possible irregularities in quotations for a $6.75-million contract for waterscape works.

The AGO found irregularities in the quotations for 23 out of 25 “star rate items”, for which rates were not listed in the contract. The value of these items came up to $148,900, or 94 per cent of the total value of items checked.

Given these irregularities, the AGO said it had concerns over whether the quotations were authentic, and if they were good value for money.

The PUB said the items were for additional works due to changes in design or scope. It added it found no such irregularities after reviewing similar contracts.

These two instances were among the 25 more significant lapses the AGO flagged in its report, out of a total of 132 which it found.

The others that the AGO highlighted had to do with contract management and procurement; management of operations, revenue and grants; weaknesses in IT controls, as well as the handling of research and development grants.

The AGO urged the public sector to pay greater attention to contract management and procurement, management of revenue and irregularities in records submitted for audits.

It said agencies should maintain adequate oversight over their consultants and contractors, to ensure goods and services provided actually meet contract requirements before payment is made.

Tenders must also be evaluated according to published evaluation criteria, to ensure contracts are awarded in line with the procurement principles of transparency, fairness and value for money, said the AGO. It noted that there were instances across several agencies where the evaluation criteria was not followed, adding this could raise questions on fairness.

On the management of revenue, the AGO said public money collected under the law should be properly accounted for as government revenue.

The AGO also reiterated that it takes a serious view of agencies furnishing false information and altered documents, as this hampers the audit and casts doubt on the authenticity of other documents.

It also suggested that public agencies make greater use of administrative data and data analytics to enhance the effectiveness of checks. For example, when administering schemes, agencies can tap data sources across the public sector instead of relying solely on applicants’ declarations.

Responding to the issues raised, MOF said it was updating training programmes and learning resources so that public sector officers can better identify key issues when evaluating or managing contracts.

It added that individual agencies have stepped up training and will share learnings across the public service.

As for revenue management, the agencies with lapses will tighten their processes and ensure they comply with existing rules for revenue collection and management, said MOF.

MOF also said the Government takes a serious view of the irregularities in records and has reiterated to senior public service leaders the importance of scrutinising this area of work.

“In addition, we have also reminded officers that actions that undermine trust in the integrity and accountability of Government will not be condoned, and that stiff action will be taken should such irregularities take place,” said the ministry.

It added that the annual audits are crucial for maintaining public trust, accountability and transparency in the management of public money.

“Where there are lapses, agencies will review each case thoroughly to identify the root causes and take corrective actions promptly. Good practices and areas for improvement will also be shared across public agencies to enhance governance and performance,” MOF added.

Auditor-General Ng Wai Choong, in a note at the end of the report, said he was pleased that the public sector agencies audited had taken the observations seriously and were committed to address the lapses.

“AGO will follow up with them to ensure that remedial actions are taken,” said Mr Ng, who took over the role from Ms Goh Soon Poh on Feb 8.

Several of these lapses were found in ministries such as the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Issues with Post-Secondary Education Accounts withdrawals​

The AGO conducted checks of Post-Secondary Education Account withdrawal records from April 2021 to March 2024, and of withdrawals by three training providers totalling $30.09 million over the period.

It found that one training provider made multiple withdrawals for the same course or withdrew amounts exceeding the course fees in 299 instances. There were also eight instances where an account member paid for eight courses by the provider, but had not enrolled in any of the courses.

Altogether, these led to unutilised account withdrawals totalling $116,200, which the training provider knowingly held for as long as 2.8 years, said the AGO.

It flagged inadequate oversight by MOE in the administration of PSEA withdrawals, noting the ministry had relied on the training providers and account holders themselves to ensure that the funds were used for approved purposes. This meant there was no assurance that regulations were followed.

Withdrawals were also allowed even before account holders had enrolled in a course, which increased the risk of the funds being held and retained by training providers, AGO said.

In response, MOE said the training provider had since refunded the unutilized sums. The ministry also said it would check all providers for duplicate withdrawals in the past six years, and look into the feasibility of implementing system checks.

MOE added that the withdrawal process has been progressively tightened since 2022, with account holders now required to authenticate each withdrawal using Singpass. It also started a pilot initiative in December 2023 to engage auditors for in-depth audits of selected training providers with plans to cover all of them eventually.

Visa fees not accounted for as Government revenue​

At MFA, the AGO found that some $1.02 million in fees collected by Honorary Consuls-General and Honorary Consuls were not tracked and accounted for as government revenue, even though this was required under the law.

Honorary Consuls-General and Honorary Consuls are volunteers appointed by MFA to represent Singapore and perform services such as processing visa applications or providing consular assistance overseas.

While they are not paid any salary or honorarium, they are allowed to retain the fees collected to offset operating costs they incur.

In its report, the AGO said MFA had previously assessed the amount of fees collected to be small, and felt that tracking it would likely cost more than the fees collected. But AGO added that the fees are public money and would need to be accounted for in the Consolidated Fund, which functions like a bank account for the government.

According to the Schedule to the Diplomatic and Consular Officers (Fees) Order 2012, fees related to visa application can range from $10 to $100.

MFA estimated that for the 2024 to 2025 financial year, the total costs incurred by the Honorary Consuls-General and Honorary Consuls exceeded the total visa revenue collected.

Thus, there was no net loss in public funds, MFA said.

Over at MOM, the AGO found IT weaknesses that could compromise the servers of the Work Pass Integrated System-Employment Pass web application used for the application, renewal and cancellation of employment passes.

Besides auditing government financial statements, the AGO also carried out a thematic audit on some $654.96 million of Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 grants disbursed by A*Star and the National Research Foundation (NRF).

The AGO found that A*Star and NRF had put in place processes and controls across the various grant stages, from design to evaluation, disbursement and monitoring to cessation, adding that there were good practices such as independent grant management units and clear parameters for grants.

But there were also areas were controls could be improved for transparency and to reduce potential conflict of interest, said the AGO.

In the case of A*Star, there were instances where the executive directors of host institutions - which employ researchers and facilities - endorsed project progress reports which they themselves had submitted as principal investigators.

For NRF, the management of host institutions had sometimes endorsed the fund requisitions of projects they themselves were leading.

In a joint statement, the two agencies acknowledged the concerns. They added that A*Star now requires such progress reports to be re-routed to someone else for endorsement, while NRF has stipulated an explicit rule that funding requisitions can only be endorsed by non-conflicted members of the institution’s management.

The AGO report was submitted to the President on July 2, and presented to Parliament on Sept 8.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

NEA overpaid project partner $0.53m, lapses also found in HTX, MPA, EDB: Auditor-General’s report​

NEA did not check with the partner for an update of the project’s financial model, which would have included necessary adjustments to costs.

Summary

• The NEA overpaid its project partner due to a failure to update the financial model, resulting in an estimated overpayment of $0.53 million.
• HTX's office renovation project had issues with the management of some contract variations, revealing inadequate payment assurance and contractor claim verification.
• The AGO found errors in MPA's tender evaluations and lapses in EDB's grant disbursements, prompting revised protocols.

AI generated

Sep 09, 2025

SINGAPORE – The National Environment Agency (NEA) overpaid a project partner by $0.53 million for the operation of a waste-to-energy plant from December 2021 to January 2025.

NEA did not check with the partner for an update of the project’s financial model, which would have included necessary adjustments to costs. It did so only when the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) asked about it in August 2024.

This was noted in the AGO’s annual report released on Sept 9 that highlighted key lapses by various ministries and public agencies for the 2024 to 2025 financial year.

In a statement on Sept 9, NEA identified this project as the $1.95 billion TuasOne project that was originally awarded to a consortium led by Hyflux in 2015.

TuasOne was required to provide waste incineration services to NEA for a period of 25 years from 2021 to 2046. It had to submit a financial model incorporating the cost, funding, operating and technical assumptions.

When it learnt of the costs of certain items, such as the land lease premium and grid connection in 2018, it was supposed to update the financial model within 30 days, said AGO in its report. But it did not do so, until the AGO’s query in 2024.

NEA acknowledged that the financial model was not updated with the correct parameters, and that it should have exercised greater due diligence.

It said TuasOne had since reviewed and updated its financial model, which was separately verified by an independent auditor. NEA will recover the $0.53 million overpayment from TuasOne, it added.

NEA said it has enhanced its processes and team overseeing public-private partnership projects, including ensuring that more complex issues relating to such contracts are adequately supported by in-house or professional legal and finance expertise.

It has also conducted checks across other such project agreements to ensure that there are no similar lapses.

The AGO report said that in 2022, NEA had consented to TuasOne’s restructuring on the premise that there would be no increase in payment arising from its change in shareholding. However, the AGO estimated that NEA would be paying $8.09 million more post-restructuring.

In response, NEA said the restructuring was critical to ensuring the continued operations of the plant. Prior to this, the project had experienced significant challenges, including Hyflux’s insolvency in 2018, which led to a construction delay of 31 months and significant cost overruns. The project was eventually completed in end-2021.

NEA said that when it consented to the restructuring, both parties had relied on an outdated financial model.

Its external financial consultant has since assessed that the post-restructuring payments are reasonable and justified, it added.

AGO’s report said that with the eventual update of the financial model, NEA estimated that it would pay $1.73 million less for the remaining contract period from February 2025 onwards.


As part of the restructuring, the then-minority owner had to inject additional equity and accepted a “significantly reduced” project equity rate of return that was below typical market expectations, NEA said.

“Had the cost increases due to the construction delay and restructuring been fully passed on to NEA, the payments post-restructuring would have been significantly higher,” it said.

The AGO report also found lapses among other entities:

Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX)​

HTX appointed a contractor to renovate its office space for $13.01 million, and a consultant to manage this project. HTX later ordered 87 contract variations totalling $0.71 million.

The AGO’s checks on 16 of the variations totalling $0.60 million found lapses in their management. It found three instances where works on variations totalling $0.31 million began without consent from the approving authority. In addition, the cost estimates were provided to HTX only after the work began.

There was also inadequate assurance that reasonable prices were charged to HTX for items whose rates were not listed in the contract. The AGO found 14 such items worth $0.28 million in five contract variations where the consultant did not follow procedures when assessing the cost reasonableness of the items.

Other weaknesses identified included no proper verification of a contractor’s claims before making payment, and delay in action taken to terminate a contract with a contractor which failed to fulfil its obligations.

The AGO said there was inadequate assurance that payments were made for services done and that public funds were well spent on this project. Although HTX had appointed a consultant to manage the renovation, HTX remained overall responsible, it added.

HTX said it would rectify the lapses and weaknesses, improve its contract management process and document all key decisions and assessments made.

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)​

The AGO checked five tenders called by MPA and found two instances of errors in evaluation scoring of a tender for vessel management services.

One error could have affected the award of the tender worth $30.75 million for vessel management services for patrol craft, noted AGO.

In evaluating the tender, MPA used a method that assigned weightages to different criteria, and the highest scorer would be awarded the tender.

The AGO found that the successful tenderer had submitted certificates awarded to its subsidiary, not itself, as documentation of its quality management system. It was then awarded four points as part of the tender evaluation by MPA. This was not in line with the evaluation criteria and the points should not have been given.

Without the four points, another tenderer would have had the highest score.

It had also submitted a $2.43 million lower bid price.

The AGO also checked 37 payments – totalling $5.95 million – under seven contracts. It noted that for 18 payments totalling $1.27 million under six contracts, inadequate checks were made to ensure that payments made were correct and were for services listed in the contracts.

MPA said it has since updated its evaluation protocols and put in place measures to ensure proper checks and verification of supporting documentation are done before future payments are approved.

The AGO also found that MPA had collected $115.88 million in dumping and monitoring fees for the financial years from 2020 to 2023, as well as $0.70 million in two port dues concessions from January 2021 to March 2024. These fees and concessions had been imposed for decades, MPA said.

Such fees and concessions should be prescribed in legislation, noted the AGO. MPA said it would amend legislation for the dumping and monitoring fees, and prescribe the port dues concessions in legislation if they are continued.

Economic Development Board (EDB)​

The AGO’s checks of 15 grant disbursements totalling $73,900 between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2024, under the Singapore Global Network Funding Programme found lapses in the administration, and weaknesses in the design, of the programme.

The programme funds ground-up events to help grow and strengthen Singapore’s global network of family and friends. The events engage overseas Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans who have studied, worked and lived in Singapore.

During the audit period, $1.6 million was reimbursed to 370 applicants for 605 applications.

Of the 15 disbursements it looked at, AGO found no evidence that EDB had checked on the funding eligibility. It added that applicants were not required to declare any conflict of interest when submitting their claims.

EDB said it has since tightened its reimbursement framework with additional checks. It did not elaborate on what these checks are.

Separately, the AGO also checked five procurements made by EDB during the same period and found a lack of robustness in tender evaluation and award of contract for global media agency services.

As part of each tender proposal, tenderers had to quote retainer fees, as well as submit remuneration data for any job roles specified.

AGO found that the awarded tenderer submitted the remuneration data only after the tender closed. The tenderer originally quoted a total retainer fee of $9.45 million, but the retainer fee derived later using the remuneration data was $11.54 million.

EDB accepted the remuneration data submitted after the close of tender without clarifying the discrepancy.

EDB said it has taken immediate steps to rectify lapses flagged by the AGO, and will step up efforts to strengthen its workflow and systems.

 

[jsctan]

Many of us have seen overhead bridges and other public projects constructed, then dismantled to make way for some other structure, before being deemed necessary again, and erected within a short span of a few years. This shows poor coordination between different govt bodies, and an utter waste of taxpayers' money.

Need trump & his team to clear out excesses
No wonder GST increased for their spendings. Not a prudent CS.

 

[True Believer]

Need trump & his team to clear out excesses No wonder GST increased for their spendings. Not a prudent CS.

Judging by the procurement irregularities that have been detected, corruption is not that uncommon in the public sector. These civil servants just haven't learned to be as savvy as the politicians who act like money launderers who 'wash away' their wrongdoing by making them 'legal' on paper.

 

[jsctan]

Judging by the procurement irregularities that have been detected, corruption is not that uncommon in the public sector. These civil servants just haven't learned to be as savvy as the politicians who act like money launderers who 'wash away' their wrongdoing by making them 'legal' on paper.

How many people are not tempted with power & money? The higher the budget, the more money can flow to own pockets.