The office of the Auditor-General Department has cited the Western Regional Sports Authority in some financial malpractices in its audited accounts for the period ending December 31, 2015.
According to the report of the Auditor-General on the Accounts on Public Boards, Corporations and other Statutory Institutions, the Regional Sports Authority made payments of over GH¢37,000 without any supporting documents.
Unsupported payments – GH¢37,569.14
Contrary to Regulation 39(2c) of Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) 2004, which requires heads of accounts section to control disbursement of funds and ensure that the transactions are properly authenticated to show that amounts are due and payable, the officers noted that the Sports Authority paid GH¢50,856.14 on 40 payment vouchers, but these were not supported with receipts, invoices and other expenditure details to confirm the propriety of the transactions.
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A follow-up on March 23, 2016, revealed that GH¢13,287.00 had been accounted for leaving GH¢37,569.14.
The Auditor-General, therefore, recommended that management should ensure that the payments are properly acquitted; failing which the authorising and paying officers involved should be surcharged with the amount.
Unaccounted revenue – GH¢25,000.
Regulation 15(1) of FAR 2004 states clearly that “any public officer or revenue collector who collects or receives public and trust moneys shall issue official receipts for them and pay them into the relevant Public Fund Bank Account within 24 hours of receipt except in exceptional circumstances to be identified by the Minister”.
But contrary to that, it was noted that, Rendell Engineering services Ltd, paid GH¢25,000 as rent for occupying the Essipong Camping Complex (China House) between March 2015 and February 2016 but the amount was not recorded in the cash book.
Management explained that the amount was spent on renovation on the camping Complex but there were no records to substantiate it.
The Auditor-General, therefore, recommended that management should properly account for the total amount or be surcharged with the amount. Overdue advance – GH¢3,550.
Again, regulation 110 FAR 2004 provides that “a head of department or the officer to whom the duties of the head of department have been delegated shall ensure that advances issued are duly recovered in accordance with the appropriate agreement.”
However, it was detected that 13 members of staff who were granted advances totalling GH¢4,200 between May 2008 and January 2012 had paid only GH¢650.00 leaving a balance of GH¢3,550.
The Auditor-General has, therefore, charged management to ensure that the monies are recovered to chest within the shortest possible time.
Credit : the finder
