Ministries overspend by millions

GOVERNMENT Ministries continue to overspend, resulting in millions being incurred in unauthorised expenditure.

This is spelled out in Auditor General Junias Kandjeke’s latest report on the accounts of the Department of Civic Affairs of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was tabled in the National Assembly this week. Kandjeke said the department overspent by more than N$10,1 million in the financial year that ended on March 31 2005.Although four divisions exceeded the authorised amount by more than N$13 million, others spent less than they budgeted for and thus cancelled out the unauthorised spending in several subdivisions.Kandjeke called on the accounting officer – the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs – to “closely monitor and review the financial position of the Department on a continuous basis to enable better financial control and take appropriate actions timeously to avoid authorised expenditure”.Kandjeke said the accounting officer failed to report the total amount outstanding on subsistence and travel allowances for the second consecutive year.”The printout from the Ministry of Finance reflects outstanding subsistence advances amounting to N$3 242 569 at March 31 2005,” the Auditor General said in the report.”It is once again recommended that the accounting officer should ensure that the relevant treasury instructions are adhered to and that control over these advances is improved so as to avoid excess payments and to ensure timely recovery of such advances,” Kandjeke said.The audit found that receipts sent by regional offices to the head office were incomplete and information recorded in the general ledger was thus wrong.”There were also a number of cash shortages in the regional offices as confirmed by the internal audit division,” the report said.He called on the accounting officer to urge regional offices to submit information timely and to monitor the general ledger on a monthly basis.”Cash shortages should be investigated and corrective measures should be taken as a matter of urgency,” Kandjeke said.Kandjeke said the department overspent by more than N$10,1 million in the financial year that ended on March 31 2005.Although four divisions exceeded the authorised amount by more than N$13 million, others spent less than they budgeted for and thus cancelled out the unauthorised spending in several subdivisions.Kandjeke called on the accounting officer – the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs – to “closely monitor and review the financial position of the Department on a continuous basis to enable better financial control and take appropriate actions timeously to avoid authorised expenditure”.Kandjeke said the accounting officer failed to report the total amount outstanding on subsistence and travel allowances for the second consecutive year.”The printout from the Ministry of Finance reflects outstanding subsistence advances amounting to N$3 242 569 at March 31 2005,” the Auditor General said in the report.”It is once again recommended that the accounting officer should ensure that the relevant treasury instructions are adhered to and that control over these advances is improved so as to avoid excess payments and to ensure timely recovery of such advances,” Kandjeke said.The audit found that receipts sent by regional offices to the head office were incomplete and information recorded in the general ledger was thus wrong.”There were also a number of cash shortages in the regional offices as confirmed by the internal audit division,” the report said.He called on the accounting officer to urge regional offices to submit information timely and to monitor the general ledger on a monthly basis.”Cash shortages should be investigated and corrective measures should be taken as a matter of urgency,” Kandjeke said.