Leonardo Blair, Enterprise Reporter

SOME SENIOR Government officials have been charging thousands of dollars in personal expenses to government-funded credit cards and have even issued them to employees who are not eligible to use them.

Other officers have been making illegal foreign trips for which Government has been footing the bill.

As to how much the nation has lost and continues to lose through this practice is still unclear. After several weeks of waiting, scores of telephone calls and a number of emails, the Ministry of Finance is yet to honour a request made by The Sunday Gleaner to declare the number of Government-funded credit cards in circulation, the identity of holders and relevant credit limits.

Sources including several Auditor-General's reports and memos from former financial secretary, Shirley Tyndall, received under the Access to Information Act, show that questionable foreign trips and credit card transactions continue to be among the highlighted infractions in public financial management despite years of efforts to stamp it out.

Auditor General Adrian Strachan, explained in his 2005 report on activities at the Ministry of Water and Housing that: "no evidence was seen that the required approval was sought from the Ministry of Finance for the use of credit cards held by three officers of the Carib Engineering Corporation. Bank statements and bills related to the use of these cards were also not presented for audit. I was ,therefore, unable to ascertain whether they were used in keeping with the Government's guidelines."

SOBER WARNING

In his 2004 report, Mr Strachan also highlighted other questionable credit card transactions by government employees. Regarding the Scientific Research Council, he related that: "the Council honoured credit card expenses amounting to $17, 187 without adequate evidence that the related transactions were of an official nature."

Reports recorded in statements from at least one retired Government official indicate that the abuses have persisted. In the summer of 1994, now retired Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Shirley Tyndall, had to issue a sober warning to senior government officers.

"It has come to the attention of this Ministry, that credit cards issued by public bodies to board members and senior managers are being used to meet personal expenses contrary to instructions," Tyndall announced in the 1994 memo. It was reported too that some permanent secretaries and heads of departments were also issuing credit cards to other public employees who weren't supposed to have them. She called for an immediate audit.

"You are hereby requested to ensure that all returns are submitted to you in accordance with guidelines and to make arrangements for detailed examination and audit of these returns to establish whether or not the credit cards have been used for other than official purposes," read the memo. She ordered names of cardholders and their limits.

SAME WARNING

But nine years later, in September 2003, Tyndall was still warning officials about the cards in a fresh memo. "Government funded credit cards shall be issued only to Ministers of Government, permanent secretaries, heads of departments and chief executive officers of public bodies.

"Credit cards that have no stated credit ceiling, will not be permitted for use. In the case of a corporate credit card, the credit ceiling must be no more than $200,000...In the case of a personal credit card to be funded by Government, the ceiling on this card must be no more than $60,000..."

She pointed out too that the credit cards "must be used to meet only unforeseen and unavoidable expenses while on official duties."

Tyndall who retired a year ago says she doesn't remember much about the matter and she has washed her hands clean of government business.

"Let me be quite frank, I just wouldn't remember. I have put everything concerning the government's business outside my head.

"I had my personal credit card; I doubt whether (Finance) Minister (Dr. Omar) Davis had one. Even if he had one, he wouldn't use it, knowing how he is," she said in an interview last week. "This credit card was supposed to pay for their hotel bill and per diem. It's not a case where they are supposed to use the cards for shopping."

Strachan also pointed out that other officials made unauthorised or questionable foreign trips and hotel stays which were billed to the Government.

FOREIGN TRIPS

In his 2004 report the Auditor General pointed out that a senior officer at the National Health Fund made two unauthorised foreign trips which cost government more than half a million dollars. "There was no evidence that the required approval was obtained from the portfolio ministry or that the Ministry of Finance had authorised the per diem paid," said the report. At the Consumer Affairs Commission, the report indicated that there was no evidence that the cost of personal airfare amounting to $41,668 was recovered from one former officer.

The Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) staff debited some $240,000 in hotel charges on overseas trips for which there was no indication that the required approval was obtained from the Ministry of local government. The Corporation was also charged nearly $300,000 for cellular roaming services which the report indicated "appeared excessive".

The Ministry of Labour was also cited for doling out public money on unusually high air fares. In September 2004 the Ministry paid J$829,148 to a travel agency to cover the cost of five first class and four economy tickets return, for nine officers from Kingston to Toronto. The first class fares were $115,081 each, while economy tickets were $63,435.75. Strachan reported that the fares were declared unusually high after checks with other players in the travel industry.

"I was unable to ascertain how the Ministry satisfied itself that it had received the best value for money in this transaction," said Strachan.