KUCHING: Five months will be given to those involved in the Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Ministry to rectify financial management issues in relation to the Auditor-General’s (AG) Report 2018, says its minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
When reporters posed the question after she officiated a women leadership training programme here yesterday, she expressed her dismay that the ministry ranked last in the financial management category with a score of 62.02 per cent, stating that it was very demoralising after all the hard work that had been done.
However, she was determined to set things right as soon as possible, stating that from July 25, corrective processes would be undertaken over the next five months by those involved to ensure the mistakes would not be repeated.
“When we receive an asset, it has to be properly recorded according to the treasury instructions,” Fatimah stressed, adding that the management of assets and inventory must be improved henceforth.
“I see this audit report as a serious matter and it needs to be a platform for our ministry to improve financially in terms of compliance to treasury instructions, procurement and recording of assets,” she added.
Fatimah emphasised that the ministry must move forward, and an effective monitoring process needed to be implemented to oversee all procedures.
“We are not happy with where we are, and it needs to be improved.”
The AG Report 2018, which was released on July 15, included the financial management performance of 32 ministries, government departments and agencies in Sarawak.
In the report, 24 received an ‘excellent’ rating, seven were categorised as ‘good’ and one (the ministry) was listed as ‘less than satisfactory’.
