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July 14, 2009
AG: Civil servants 'sloppy'
By Goh Chin Lian, Senior Political Correspondent
THE Auditor-General has chided civil servants for being sloppy in their management of public funds.
He accuses them of tending to opt for what is convenient administratively over financial prudence and being lax in enforcing penalities and other contractual rights.
They are also too ready in accepting the recommendations of consultants.
One government agency whose slip-ups are particularly costly is the Media Development Authority (MDA), which regulates the media and public service broadcast programmes.
Its lapses, which filled nine pages of a 40-page report released by the Auditor-General yesterday, include failing to to collect an estimated $9.89 million in revenue. The sum is from 46 films it had invested in and which had been screened, some as long ago as 4-1/2 years.
Such shortcomings in contract management and in the procurement of goods and services form a significant portion of the lapses uncovered in the yearly audit of government agencies, Auditor-General Lim Soo Ping said in his latest report. The findings are for the financial year up to March 31 this year.
Mr Lim blames the lapses partly on officers who are 'inclined towards administrative convenience with financial prudence taking a back seat'.
Also, some officers are too ready to accept at face value the recommendations of consultants, without giving enough thought to the financial implications.
'A small dose of scepticism is always helpful,' he said. 'Many lapses can be avoided if the approving authorities are more rigorous in their scrutiny and ask the pertinent, if inconvenient, questions,' he said.
The agencies have promised the Auditor-General to tighten their processes.
Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.
July 14, 2009
AG: Civil servants 'sloppy'
By Goh Chin Lian, Senior Political Correspondent
THE Auditor-General has chided civil servants for being sloppy in their management of public funds.
He accuses them of tending to opt for what is convenient administratively over financial prudence and being lax in enforcing penalities and other contractual rights.
They are also too ready in accepting the recommendations of consultants.
One government agency whose slip-ups are particularly costly is the Media Development Authority (MDA), which regulates the media and public service broadcast programmes.
Its lapses, which filled nine pages of a 40-page report released by the Auditor-General yesterday, include failing to to collect an estimated $9.89 million in revenue. The sum is from 46 films it had invested in and which had been screened, some as long ago as 4-1/2 years.
Such shortcomings in contract management and in the procurement of goods and services form a significant portion of the lapses uncovered in the yearly audit of government agencies, Auditor-General Lim Soo Ping said in his latest report. The findings are for the financial year up to March 31 this year.
Mr Lim blames the lapses partly on officers who are 'inclined towards administrative convenience with financial prudence taking a back seat'.
Also, some officers are too ready to accept at face value the recommendations of consultants, without giving enough thought to the financial implications.
'A small dose of scepticism is always helpful,' he said. 'Many lapses can be avoided if the approving authorities are more rigorous in their scrutiny and ask the pertinent, if inconvenient, questions,' he said.
The agencies have promised the Auditor-General to tighten their processes.
Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.
