The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has made five recommendations to Government agencies in its latest report examining repeat recommendations from the NSW Auditor-General’s financial audit reports. The PAC report examined a number of recommendations that had not been implemented after a number of years.
PAC Chair, Jonathan O’Dea said, "Overall, the Committee was pleased to find that the relevant agencies are taking recommendations of the Auditor-General seriously.
"Several responses received from agencies outlined the significant savings following implementation of Auditor-General’s recommendations, highlighting their importance. For example, NSW Health has reduced its overtime payments by $21 million from 2011 to 2014."
"The Committee was encouraged to find a reduction in the number of recommendations to examine compared to similar inquiries in previous years", Mr O’Dea said. "The Audit Office highlights important areas for improvement and the Committee can lend further weight to the matter. Agencies are recognising this and making more of an effort to respond appropriately."
However, some areas where improvements could be made were also identified. The report makes recommendations to the State Records Authority of New South Wales, the Department of Justice, Transport for NSW, and NSW Health.
"Recommendations made to both NSW Health and Transport for NSW on employee leave management relate to matters that have been brought up repeatedly. The Committee would like to see more action from these agencies," said Mr O’Dea.
For more information about the inquiry and to access a copy of the report, please visit the PAC's webiste: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/publicaccounts
