KUALA LUMPUR: The 2022 Auditor-General's Report on the Activities of Federal Government Ministries/Departments and Federal Statutory Bodies found losses on six cases of public funds worth RM681.71 million.
Auditor General Datuk Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi said six programmes that suffered losses were the Padi Planting Management Programme; Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) Property Development Management; the management and regulation of firearms of the departments and agencies under the Home Ministry; the management of the Marine Protected Area Conservation Programme; the Investment Promotion Programme for the Manufacturing Sector; and the management of the Safe City Programme.
The losses include the granting of exemptions from fines imposed on the delays in the supply and delivery of fertiliser; the distribution of sub-optimal subsidies and incentives to rice padi; and the failure to collect land lease and procurement revenue in lieu of the disposal of firearms that were not fully supplied.
The report also said there was wastage of RM21.35 million for three cases involving the Foreign Workers Integrated Management System (ePPAx) and Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS), management of the Marine Protected Area Conservation Programme, and the management of the programme to strengthen the capacity, ability and competitiveness of the construction industry.
Among the cases that were raised related to a system that was not used optimally where 11 of the 14 ePPAx system modules were not used in the foreign worker management process.
The report said that the forward base project that was completed in 2020 could not be used and the training equipment at ACMV Industrial had not been used since it was received in 2018.
The report said there were irregular payments worth RM1.52 million involving the management of the Elite Sports Podium Programme and the management of the capacity, ability and competitiveness of the construction industry programme.
This resulted in expenses made outside the scope of the programme's approval and sponsorships made to participants who do not meet requirements.
"The Auditor General Department has issued 55 recommendations for action to be taken by the relevant government departments and agencies," she said.
For the 2022 Auditor General's Report, a total of 16 performance audits worth RM208.882 billion have been carried out in 14 ministries.