– urges ministry to hand over sports commission’s funds
The 2007 Auditor General’s report has outlined some concerns in relation to financial transactions associated with the National Sports Commission and the National Trust, which fall under the oversight of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
According to the Auditor General’s report, “the National Trust, a statutory body subject to separate financial reporting and audit, has never submitted financial statements for audit and there was no evidence that the ministry took steps to ensure compliance in this regard.” The report said that during the reporting period “a subvention of $16.858 million was transferred by the ministry to this entity.”
The Head of Budget subsequently indicated that the National Trust was in the process of preparing financial statements.
The report also pointed to the ministry’s failure to recover amounts of $245,700 and $989,900 that were overpaid to contractors in relation to the rehabilitation of the rampart at Kyk-Over-Al and walkway at Fort Zeelandia.
In response to this concern, the Head of the Budget Agency indicated that appropriate action was taken and a deadline given for the amounts to be repaid.
Meanwhile, the ministry continued to expend amounts voted as subvention and capital provision for the National Sports Commission (NSC). During the reporting period amounts totalling $54.806 million were expended on these provisions, with an amount of $34.490 million being used from the current provision. The NSC is a separate and legal entity that was created by Act 23 of 1993, and should have been in receipt of the subventions appropriated by Parliament. A similar situation existed in 2006, where the ministry expended the NSC allocations. The report also stated that the last audit conducted on the NSC was done in 2004.
The Head of the Budget Agency within the ministry indicated “that the National Sports Commission was pursuing the preparation of all outstanding financial statements.”
The Audit Office recommended that “the ministry take appropriate action to hand over all subventions to the National Sports Commission so that it could properly assume its responsibilities for proper accountability as enshrined under its governing legislation.”