Auditor-General’s Report FY 2015/16: Audit observations

[Kb27]

so this is how the legendary bin centre looks like?

 

They paid half a million for a rubbish bin ?

 

I thought it's some high tech book storage bin container.

 

Got fight with Durai's golden tap.

 

No corruption yeah, just plenty of taxpayers money thrown out the window.

 

That's what you get for allowing authorities to check themselves.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Kb27

[Spinelli_ck]

"The Manpower Ministry bought a $432,407 computer system that turned out to be incompatible with its current system.

The new system was meant to be integrated with MOM's Foreign Domestic Worker system. But the ministry did not carry out a robust evaluation of whether the two would be compatible before procurement.

MOM then decided not to use the new computer system as modifying it would cost too much. It has been unused since November 2014.

The AGO pointed out that some of the hardware assets and database licences could have been redeployed elsewhere in the ministry. MOM said it is exploring doing so."

 

No investigation of kickbacks or corruption with IT vendor involved & manager who approved the purchase? 

This is making the AGO's effort a joke & belittling their responsibilities to us taxpayers. We did not pay tax for them to play games & cover up.

 

it's an honest mistake. let's move on! 

 

for an IT project that cost this much, i wonder if the vendor who won the tender did a POC. no feasibility study done beforehand? at which stage of the project did someone realise the new system was not compatible with the existing system? why was the ministry financially responsible for this blunder?

 

the lackadaisical response from MOM is troubling.     

[Kusje]

They paid half a million for a rubbish bin ?

 

I thought it's some high tech book storage bin container.

 

Got fight with Durai's golden tap.

 

No corruption yeah, just plenty of taxpayers money thrown out the window.

 

That's what you get for allowing authorities to check themselves.

 

They paid 900k la.

 

Half a mil is just for the "consultation".

[Kklim]

so this is how the legendary bin centre looks like?

 

Maybe got two bomb-proof basements hidden from view.

[Kyrios]

Prease lah, no blame culture for MIWs..for WP then got blame culture ok

[Mustank]

What a breezy day!

[Zhivago]

Wah u guys say till got dragon got Phoenix , must make my way down b4 they start collect money if want to view .

[Bystander50]

Prease lah, no blame culture for MIWs..for WP then got blame culture ok

 

You got it all wrong ... WP's mismanagements were all highlight out before the AGO report to show how poorly WP did to hold on to the top and that now WP must compete harder to retain the title it held for the past few years.

 

See, the ministries and agencies now beat WP to it.

[Sosaria]

How can this just be due to lack of robust evaluation  ??? Looks to me like don't even have simple evaluation at all.

All the talk on redeploying the hardware & licences are just damage limitation steps... need to know why could this happen in the first place!

 

Perhaps the $400k+ amount is too small & need not even go to senior level for approval during the tender & award exercise... in that case, quite easy to get some IT mgr/director to take the rap & those high up still safe...

 

Sometimes, it's because the process too onerous that the people involved in the purchasing are just eager to get the work over and done with. Once amount is budgeted, if the purchase drag on for too long and have to extend the budget to next financial year, doesn't look good for them too - there is time pressure to get the thing awarded and case closed.

 

Another possibility could be that some poor staff just got arrowed to do the job without proper knowledge of the details - it's just work to be done - happens all the time, shoot arrow here and there in govt depts.

[Kb27]

Everyone is taking public taxpayers money and spending it like it's free.

 

But for the rest of us, we should be thankful that AGO is doing a great job !

[Ocean6576]

They paid 900k la.

 

Half a mil is just for the "consultation".

 

I think is 410k for consulting, including building and consulting is 470k.

[Camrysfa]

I think is 410k for consulting, including building and consulting is 470k.

 

Wrong! --- Auspicious number 880

 

 

AGO also found that NAC had paid a consultancy fee of S$410,000 for the construction of a bin centre costing S$470,000. "There was inadequate assessment on the reasonableness of the exceptionally high consultancy fee, at 87.2 per cent of the cost of construction," it said. 

[Yewheng]

Wrong! --- Auspicious number 880

 

 

AGO also found that NAC had paid a consultancy fee of S$410,000 for the construction of a bin centre costing S$470,000. "There was inadequate assessment on the reasonableness of the exceptionally high consultancy fee, at 87.2 per cent of the cost of construction," it said.

You know la, when come to the gray area consultancy fee.

 

I can plan out how it goes.

 

Consultant: wa government job very Ho tan. Just quote high amount sure can get the project one la. Its ah gong money and so Okay one la. Its not these guy paying anyway, government pay.

 

Staff: receive the tender amount. Eh.. Consultant, the cost of consulting fee is is almost half the cost of the project, is it too expensive Bo? The cost you quote like abit high leh.

 

Consultant: ( of coz will say no la as it is to the interest for consultant to earn as much money as possible, government project somemore so can milk more money, but cannot so direct say, so come out with..) eh.. Not expensive la, it's cheap already. I am professional consultant you know. Outside professional consultant also quote that price.

 

Staff: you say not expensive are.. Okay on.. The deal is on.

 

So lucky got AGO to flag out and put to public. Hopefully this can reduce these kind of tender case that staff just gong gong approved tender based on the sweet talk or good sales peach just to milk more money due government project. ( government project jin Ho tan)..

Edited July 28, 2016 by Yewheng

[Vratenza]

How often do AGO do these audits?

 

Once every SG50?

 

I hope they do it more often like once before every GE and release the findings 1 month before GE.

 

That will be the real report card for the ruling party for voters to base their votes on in the GE.

 

Everyone is taking public taxpayers money and spending it like it's free.

 

But for the rest of us, we should be thankful that AGO is doing a great job !

 

[Premacist]

The audit is carried out every year.

 

Every year, we see similar type of findings.

 

This is finding for last year:

http://www.ago.gov.sg/docs/default-source/report/e774db1b-584a-4710-9cc0-8852ec114080.pdf

 

How often do AGO do these audits?

 

Once every SG50?

 

I hope they do it more often like once before every GE and release the findings 1 month before GE.

 

That will be the real report card for the ruling party for voters to base their votes on in the GE.

 

[Vratenza]

hmmm.... if every year, then doesn't it make the lapses every more serious?

 

I mean if it was oversight and no one come to check and correct them for years, I can totally sympathize.

 

But if it is an annual check and yet they can still come up with all the funny shennanigans.... that says alot about the inherent system faults?

 

The audit is carried out every year.

 

Every year, we see similar type of findings.

 

This is finding for last year:

http://www.ago.gov.sg/docs/default-source/report/e774db1b-584a-4710-9cc0-8852ec114080.pdf

 

[RadX]

hmmm.... if every year, then doesn't it make the lapses every more serious?

 

I mean if it was oversight and no one come to check and correct them for years, I can totally sympathize.

 

But if it is an annual check and yet they can still come up with all the funny shennanigans.... that says alot about the inherent system faults?

 

 

no lah...annual review of lapses...if not nothing to report leh

 

just like patient cum to you...still hv come review rt?  

[Vratenza]

Just don't cum on me......

 

but all these are new lapse found in the last FY right? if they are old lapses being revisited, they should have ample time (>1yr) to correct them before the last review issnt it?

 

 

no lah...annual review of lapses...if not nothing to report leh

 

just like patient cum to you...still hv come review rt?