21/07/2023

Auditor-General's Report 2022/2023

Auditor-General flags lapses in govt agencies, including transfer of official funds to personal bank accounts

The People’s Association, Public Service Division, Ministry of Communications and Information and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore were among the government agencies flagged for lapses and weaknesses in a report released on Wednesday.

In its annual audit of government accounts, the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) cited instances of awarding contracts to debarred contractors, co-mingling official funds with staff’s personal funds, giving excessive IT access rights, and over-disbursing support grants. It also highlighted possible irregularities in the records provided to AGO by the State Courts and Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

Here is a summary of its findings:
  • People’s Association (PA) - The AGO found that three grassroots organisations (GROs) had awarded contracts to or renewed them with two debarred contractors during their debarment period.
  • Public Service Division (PSD) - An IT general controls audit was conducted for the PSD’s human resource and payroll system, which serves more than 186,000 users across the Government.
  • Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) - In 2022, the AGO reported lapses in MCI’s administration of the Whole-of-Government Period Contract and Framework Agreement (WOG PCFA).
  • Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) - The CAAS had administered several grants to support the aviation industry amid the Covid-19 pandemic.


Three more cases of ‘inappropriate’ money management uncovered by People's Association but no funds lost: Edwin Tong

The People’s Association (PA) has identified three more instances where an “inappropriate practice of monies management” took place, after the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) reported similar issues at two grassroots organisations.

After the AGO’s audit, the PA started conducting checks that were similar in scope and time period, said Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong in parliament on Wednesday (Aug 2).

“Thus far, we have identified three other cases in which similar inappropriate practice of monies management for welfare assistance schemes were adopted,” he said in response to parliamentary questions raised by Members of Parliament following the AGO’s report. “In all of these cases, there was also no loss of funds,” he added, noting that the practices have since stopped.


S$1 million over-disbursement of grants by CAAS, weakness in controls at PA among lapses flagged by Auditor-General
The Auditor-General's Office's headquarters in Revenue House. (Photo: CNA/Gaya Chandramohan)

The over-disbursement of grants by S$1 million (US$754,000) by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and weaknesses in controls at the People’s Association (PA) were among the lapses flagged by the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) in its report on Wednesday (Jul 19).

The AGO’s audit report of public agencies in Singapore for the financial year 2022/2023 also focused on four COVID-19 grants – the Jobs Support Scheme, Rental Relief Framework (Rental Cash Grant), Rental Support Scheme and the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers scheme.

The AGO audited 16 government ministries, eight organs of state, four government funds, eight statutory boards, four government-owned companies and two other accounts.



Report of the Auditor-General for the Financial Year 2022/23


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