Ministry takes audit findings on board: C.E.O.

By Joyetter Feagaimaali'i 03 March 2021, 11:00AM

Failures in administration identified by the Samoa Audit Office in the Ministry of Public Enterprises’ (M.P.E.) have mostly been addressed, the Ministry’s Chief Executive Officer, Elita To'oala said.  

The issues were outlined in the Audit Office report for the Financial Year 2018-2019 and followed a comprehensive spot check conducted between July and December 2016. 

The spot check report, written in December 2016, found an Assistant C.E.O. was paid untaken sick leave and found an ex-gratia payment had been made in contravention to the Working Conditions and Entitlements Manual 2015. 

“There were inconsistencies for the salary scale of Principal level positions with some paid at $55,000 and some at $45,594 per annum,” the report said. 

“Some fixed assets were not labelled, some were not recorded in the asset register and still marked as M.O.F.'s (Ministry of Finance) old asset numbers and location of Principal IT Officer is unsafe for certain [Information Technology] equipment.” 

Also noted by the Ministry was a lack of running sheets for Ministry vehicles running in the Government bowser. 

“There were no leave application forms for some employees as required under the Public Service Commission Working Conditions and Entitlement Manual Determination.

“All dividends received from Public Trading Bodies are receipted and posted by the Ministry of Finance on behalf of M.P.E. due to [there being] no receipt books [for] the Ministry.”

The C.E.O. told the Samoa Observer responses to the issues raised by the Auditor-General have been provided and were discussed with a Standing Order Committee early 2020 which has resulted in a report now before Parliament. 

“Most of these issues were addressed in the Management Letter from the Ministry to the Auditor-General as required under the Audit Act 2013, Public Bodies (Performance and Accountability Act 2001) and the Public Finance Management Act 2001.

“Around the same time as the Ministry was in its transitional movement from the Ministry of Finance,” the C.E.O. said. 

 Printed below is the excerpted part of the Audit Report relevant to the M.P.E.

2.24 Public Enterprises Comprehensive Spot Check 1st July – 31st December 2016

1. An ACEO was paid untaken sick leave as well as an ex-gratia payment even though it was not authorised under Working Conditions and Entitlements Manual 2015. 

2. There were inconsistencies for the salary scale of Principal level positions with some paid at $55,000 and some at $45,594 per annum. 

3. Some fixed assets were not labelled, some were not recorded in the asset register and still marked as MOF's old asset numbers and location of Principal IT Officer is unsafe for certain IT equipment. 

4. There were no running sheets for SLC03 allocated to the Minister of MPE that was recorded in the petrol docket (TY76) at the Government Bowser 

5. There were no leave application forms for some employees as required under the PSC Working Conditions and Entitlement Manual Determination 13. 

6. All dividends received from Public Trading Bodies are receipted and posted by the Ministry of Finance on behalf of MPE due to no receipt books of the ministry. 

7. There were no accountable forms register kept by the Ministry to record TY76 books.

 

 

 



By Joyetter Feagaimaali'i 03 March 2021, 11:00AM
Samoa Observer

Upgrade to Premium

Subscribe to
Samoa Observer Online

Enjoy unlimited access to all our articles on any device + free trial to e-Edition. You can cancel anytime.

>