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PHILIPSBURG--Two ministries are without financial controllers. This is a cause for worry, says National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament George Pantophlet.
The Education Ministry does not have a controller and the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI controller has been appointed the concern controller, Finance Minister Martin Hassink told MPs on Thursday.
Pantophlet plans to send questions to Hassink querying who authorised the transfer of the VROMI controller and who is now authorised to approve financial transactions for the two ministries. He is also curious about the reason the education ministry controller left the job.
"Proper financial control is vital for government's operation," especially with the General Audit stating in a recent report that inadequate internal control procedures had been noted at all ministries, said Pantophlet. "The report amplifies the need for having a proper internal control department in place."
The inadequacy noted by the audit chamber has resulted in the annual financial statements including numerous errors and uncertainties.
Pantophlet also wants Hassink to provide him with a copy of the agreement signed between government (read former-Finance Minister Roland Tuitt) and Government's Accountant Bureau SOAB for the setting-up of an internal control department for government within two years. The bureau is said to have been contracted to write the internal control process and train employees.
