Wednesday, 17th December 2008
IT Ministry grilled by audit report
A number of government workers were paid overtime even when they were on vacation leave, according to a revealing 2007 audit report that shed a particularly negative light on the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology.
Various control issues, described as "opportunities for improvement", were reported by the National Audit Office, which paints a picture of a disorganised ministry where expenditure on personal income exceeded its allocated budget by €70,270.
A policy coordinator was found to have spent €3,065 in mobile phone bills, exceeding his allowance entitlement of €815 "excessively", according to the report.
Another employee had received at least three months pay in full despite working reduced hours. Two others who had applied for two days of sick leave on half pay were given their full pay anyway.
The report, tabled in Parliament on Monday, also found instances where the number of hours claimed in overtime were different from those recorded in attendance sheets.
At one point, the Audit Office said, the authorities had adopted most of its recommendations but for some reason the areas in which the ministry had received most criticism "remained outstanding".
Among these shortcomings, two messengers working at the private secretariat were noted to have applied for overtime after 1.30 p.m. even though their normal working hours extended to 5.15 p.m.
The report also reveals that attendance records were amended with correction fluid by officers at the private secretariat.
"It transpired that the employees were possibly signing both the attendance sheets as well as the overtime sheets for a whole week in advance," the report said.
It added that the automated attendance recording system in place was not being used. The report listed all the shortcomings in attendance sheets: "persistent late attendance, illegible time recorded or time covered with correction fluid, 'time-out' recorded in different handwriting than that of 'time-in' and 'time-in' and 'time-out' not recorded at all".
Overtime was not always approved beforehand and, in one such case, no documentation could be found to support a claim by an employee for 90 hours overtime.
In many instances, employees did not present medical certificates to substantiate sick leave and none of the vacation leave taken by personnel engaged with the private secretariat was supported by a request.
The report also said that the "on call allowance" of €1,817 annually that a messenger was receiving was not justified.
An employee who was allowed to lease a car made the arrangements himself and the ministry paid without a formal contract with the supplier.
The areas that were not "adequately addressed" following the Auditor's recommendations included lack of documentation to support claims for overtime, shoddy attendance recordsinadequate approval of special leave, excessive mobile phone expenditure, observations relating to the full use of office cars, the qualification allowance enjoyed by an employee in the minister's secretariat and the on call allowance paid to a messenger.
Attempts to get the ministry's reaction yesterday were unsuccessful.
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Comments
If this was the private sector, heads would have rolled for this.
In a democracy yes, but we have a dermocracy.
Stephen Forster
Do you expect otherwise?
Criss Camilleri
You are right.
As PBO and Agostino Pio themselves said, Gonzipn is informed about everything.
This means two things.
Either that he agrees with what he has been informed about and must bear the responsibility.
Or he cannot do otherwise because we have the real Prime Minister(s) running the show behind the scenes with whom he has to comply but he still has to shoulder the responsibility because HE is supposed to be the PM and was entrusted to run the show.
As in the case where people are given more benefits in cash then they are supposed, the Government zealots would notify you immeditaely and start to get the money back with deductions from the future cheques. This law applies to Citizen Joe and those who are in need of allowances and benefits.
The best measure that has to be enforced is either these 'special Government workers' would give the extra money back.
Or
They would work the equivalent amount for 'free'.
It is not fair for people like me to have to pay VAT and TAX only to find that there are Government workers WHO WILLINGLY, AND DECEITFULLY MILK THE COW AS THAT MILK IS COMING FROM PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE PAYING THROUGH OUR NOSES.
I ask the Minister where is your responsibilty and what shall you do about it?
Again it's very interesting about the outcome,..
....... but yet again as usual i am expecting a very passive attitude ( 'kollox jghaddi' ) from the authorities. The people whome must lead by example. Disgrace!!!!
Why are some people is having it good always at the expense of our own money.
In Malta where Dr Gatt really enjoys boosting the citizen's morale by ridiculing himself with his own comments this obviously doesn't happen. But this is Malta - take it or leave it.
John Bundy was so right - Pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse