'Everything was a mess': Kamikamica slams financial mismanagement

Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Manoa Kamikamica, delivered a scathing assessment of statutory authorities and independent bodies in Parliament yesterday.

Mr Kamikamica said the financial management during the previous government’s term was comprehensively broken.

“Basically, everything was a mess,” Mr Kamikamica said while presenting the consolidated Auditor General’s report covering 2019 to 2023.

The report examined 27 statutory authorities, eight commissions, and one independent body, revealing that 40 per cent of audits were modified—17 per cent received disclaimers while 23 per cent were qualified opinions.

Mr Kamikamica said financial reporting quality and timeliness was assessed as 73 per cent ineffective.

“The deficiency included cash and revenue management, journal voucher documentation and reconciliations, procurement processes, payroll controls, asset management,” he said.

He highlighted widespread internal control weaknesses across entities during the period covered, noting significant issues in financial reporting timeliness and quality, outdated policies and procedures, weak corporate governance, poor records management, and ineffective software use.

Mr Kamikamica also raised concerns about high salary levels for key personnel in certain agencies and the lack of regular policy updates.

The committee called for urgent action to resolve common governance and financial reporting issues, including training for accounting staff, timely submission of audited accounts, stronger CEO oversight, and risk management disaster recovery plans by 2026.

“It is highlighted that these recurring governance deficiencies, such as lack of risk management, disaster recovery, and business continuity frameworks, which weaken institutional resilience,” Mr Kamikamica said.

He urged responsible officers to ensure timely audits, strengthened governance, and improved accountability in managing public funds.

The committee’s report stressed that entities must prepare annual financial statements within legislative deadlines under the Finance Management Act.

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