Government petty contracts — those under $100,000, which do not have to be put out to tender — will be a focus area for the Audit Department this year, Auditor General Sonia Webster said recently during Standing Finance Committee deliberations.
In her presentation to the committee, Ms. Webster told lawmakers that 2013 saw the department prioritising three areas: cash deposits, statutory boards, and petty contract procedure, according to the SFC report. She added that for 2014, the department will be “refocusing their efforts on petty contracts, primarily to monitor for compliance,” the report states.
Asked by Third District Representative Julian Fraser about the agency’s role when it comes to petty contracts, Ms. Webster responded that the department looks for compliance with regulations, for any irregularities, and for ways government officers might be circumventing the rules, the report states.
Ms. Webster and her team decide which agencies or projects to audit at the beginning of the year based on which ones seem likely to have problems, she said in the report, adding that government officers and even members of the public are also welcome to suggest areas to be audited.
See the March 13, 2014 edition for full coverage.
{FCOMMENT}