Tag Archives: AGO

Among the more serious lapse is the late payments amounting to S$661,900, which are “contrary to Government’s instructions” and constitute an “unfair business practice”, said AGO in a statement released today. Sport SG immediately issued a statement indicating that they are addressing all AGO findings, and where necessary, disciplinary inquiries have been initiated and persons found negligent will be held to account.

These all reads like serious allegations of malpractice by the agencies involved. If the government went all out to rap WP for their handling of AHPTC accounts, then they should go all out to punish and shame those responsible for these lapses. But will they?

What a difference a day makes.... AGO damning report one day expose of millions of tax payers money gone due to financial lapses across Ministries and Stat Boards.... sekali ISD annouce arrest lah .... Overnite headlines change....

AGO flagged the payment of $400,000 consultancy fees to build an NAC bin centre which costs only $470,000. An online forum member Scrabby shared a picture of the alleged bin centre and it looks surprisingly normal. Nothing about its external facade suggests of the complexity cited by PAP Minister Grace Fu to support its $400,000 consultancy fees.

The AGO report certainly shone a light on something very interesting in my view. This is the unauthorised investment of circa $50m in US Real Estate Investment Trust and Exchange Traded Fund. The interesting bit is not the unauthorised investment which is not uncommon in asset management (usually because authorisation is slow in coming) but the Saver Premium Fund, a retirement plan for SAF Officers and Warrant Officers, from which the investments were made. It clearly show our military officers are given the choice and the returns that are denied to CPF members.

Accounts of lapses and neglect in public spending by government ministries and departments documented in the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) latest report are shocking. The AGO report blows a gaping hole in the PAP's rhetoric that it runs a competent and efficient government. The inadequacies and neglect in public expenditure processes must be thoroughly investigated, public officials responsible for the lapses made to answer for them, and where necessary efforts made to recover the funds.

On Tuesday, the Auditor-General's report for Financial Year 15/16 was released. In their media release, AGO announced that it accounted 16 Government ministries and 8 organs of state. It uncovered a number of instances of inadequate financial controls and that management of public funds was weak in certain areas audited.

I read with a heavy heart news that MOE is exploring the possibility of making teacher pay for parking their vehicles in school. Having worked in the civil service for a number of years, I finally quit because of the sheer stupidity of agencies like the AGO who constantly nitpick our work to score points. Now their stupidity has finally caught up with our poor teachers. In a way, MOE is bearing the brunt of the immense public backlash even though it is totally not their fault but that of the AGO which tries to beat every government agency into conformity under the guise of accountability.

At a community event on Sunday (2 Aug), DPM Teo Chee Hean told the media that PAP is looking for candidates with financial and legal backgrounds, and more importantly, “with integrity and the interests of residents at heart”, to run in opposition-held Aljunied GRC. Going through AGO audit reports, it was found that Mr Teo, as Chairman of National Research Foundation (NRF) [Link] dealing with billions of dollars in its budget, should perhaps get his own house in order first before criticising WP’s AHPETC.

When the AGO released reports of lapses by AHPETC, the result was immense. Newspapers and television news report this over and over 24/7. Inquiries were held. WP members were questioned repeatedly. Court sessions were heard. And grants were held back too. Yet with the most recent AGO findings regarding government-related facilities, I couldn’t help but notice some difference with the treatment given, for lapses that were pretty similar.