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AT LEAST 14 government departments and their respective offices showed lapses in the management of public funds, reported Shin Min Daily News.
This was revealed in the Auditor-General's Office (AGO)report for the financial year 2009/2010 released on Tuesday.
The report also highlighted two areas which came under scrutiny - how finances are managed and the efficiency of resources.
According to the report, the ministry that did not fare well in terms of financial management was the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
The Singapore Police Force and Subordiate Courts were also cited in the AGO's report, according to the Straits Times, for revenue and refund lapses.
Examples of how the funds were misused at various ministries, organs of state, statutory boards and government funds:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA): There were over 50 cases of overpayment of salaries, bonuses, overtime claimes, medical and dental sbusidies, and double payment of medical expenses, amounting to at least $5,800.
- Subordinate courts: It has yet to return $440,450 of bail money. Bail money is usually returned 15 to 23 days after the case has gone to court, however there are still 46 oustanding cases in which the money has yet to be returned. It was also late in refunding cash bail of $571,500 in 59 cases.
- Singapore Police Force: The police lost up to $648,000 in revenue for more than 10 years, as it did not charge town councils a fee of $25 for every Warrant of Arrest enforced. It also did not collect about $242,000 in damages for contractors' failure to fulfil their maintenance contracts.
- Singapore Armed Forces: Servicemen managing cookhouses at army camps falsified records to cover up for 63 instances of excess meal orders at two camps. The wastage amounted to $22,231. The Ministry of Defence has stated that disciplinary action has been taken against the personnel involved in faking the records.
- Welfare donations: Donations of $34,907 to three welfare homes were transferred to voluntary welfare organisations by managing agents, instead of to the homes themselves.
- Valuables and $12,637 cash belonging to the residents in a welfare home were kept in cardboard boxes and shopping bags. They were not locked up.
- About $1.19 million in government payouts were given to homes on behalf of patients but one home treated the money as its revenue, while five others used it to pay for medical treatment and charges incurred by patients. They did so without authorisation.
Another concern highlighted by the Auditor-General's report is the IT security lapses found in the government accounting system "NFS@Gov".
Access rights were wrongly given to over 640 end-user accounts, which allowed them to modify programs or records in the system.
Computer system tests revealed two invoices generated with the wrong amounts.
The report will be deliberated by the Public Accounts Committee and the respective ministries will have to account for the lapses.
This was revealed in the Auditor-General's Office (AGO)report for the financial year 2009/2010 released on Tuesday.
The report also highlighted two areas which came under scrutiny - how finances are managed and the efficiency of resources.
According to the report, the ministry that did not fare well in terms of financial management was the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
The Singapore Police Force and Subordiate Courts were also cited in the AGO's report, according to the Straits Times, for revenue and refund lapses.
Examples of how the funds were misused at various ministries, organs of state, statutory boards and government funds:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA): There were over 50 cases of overpayment of salaries, bonuses, overtime claimes, medical and dental sbusidies, and double payment of medical expenses, amounting to at least $5,800.
- Subordinate courts: It has yet to return $440,450 of bail money. Bail money is usually returned 15 to 23 days after the case has gone to court, however there are still 46 oustanding cases in which the money has yet to be returned. It was also late in refunding cash bail of $571,500 in 59 cases.
- Singapore Police Force: The police lost up to $648,000 in revenue for more than 10 years, as it did not charge town councils a fee of $25 for every Warrant of Arrest enforced. It also did not collect about $242,000 in damages for contractors' failure to fulfil their maintenance contracts.
- Singapore Armed Forces: Servicemen managing cookhouses at army camps falsified records to cover up for 63 instances of excess meal orders at two camps. The wastage amounted to $22,231. The Ministry of Defence has stated that disciplinary action has been taken against the personnel involved in faking the records.
- Welfare donations: Donations of $34,907 to three welfare homes were transferred to voluntary welfare organisations by managing agents, instead of to the homes themselves.
- Valuables and $12,637 cash belonging to the residents in a welfare home were kept in cardboard boxes and shopping bags. They were not locked up.
- About $1.19 million in government payouts were given to homes on behalf of patients but one home treated the money as its revenue, while five others used it to pay for medical treatment and charges incurred by patients. They did so without authorisation.
Another concern highlighted by the Auditor-General's report is the IT security lapses found in the government accounting system "NFS@Gov".
Access rights were wrongly given to over 640 end-user accounts, which allowed them to modify programs or records in the system.
Computer system tests revealed two invoices generated with the wrong amounts.
The report will be deliberated by the Public Accounts Committee and the respective ministries will have to account for the lapses.
