DELAYS in processing paperwork at the Ministry for Women led to the $28.5million in Government payments being unverifiable, as revealed by the Auditor-General’s 2024 report.
The digital shift would prevent similar delays in the future, and aimed for greater transparency and efficiency in government payments.
Permanent Secretary Selina Kuruleca told media yesterday that the bulk of funds had already been redeposited into the government consolidated fund, but slow documentation and account closures had caused the backlog.
She said the findings has prompted an urgent shift toward digital record-keeping, and reassured the public that all funds were accounted for.
“You may have been paid in January, but the paperwork only got processed in October,” she said.
“It was really a paperwork issue, not a loss of funds.”
The report, tabled in Parliament last week, found that thousands of payment vouchers could not be verified during the audit, highlighting the urgent need for better record management.
Ms Kuruleca said storing physical records had long been a challenge, and the ministry has begun transitioning to digital systems to ensure payments are processed on time and transparently.
“Delays occurred when accounts weren’t closed promptly.
“Dragging it out only caused issues.
“We’ve already had a few shouting matches over this, so improving timeliness and documentation is critical.”
