The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has come under scrutiny after an audit revealed that nearly $12,000 was mistakenly paid to a non-existent employee due to flaws in the payroll system. According to the Auditor-General’s 2023 report, an officer associated with Employee Data Processing (EDP) number 93715, who was absent from the ministry’s Human Resource records, received salary payments for 14 fortnights spanning from October 2022 to May 2023.
Auditor-General Finau Nagera noted that there was no record of employment for this officer in the payroll system dating back to April 2015. A renewal application was mistakenly submitted for a different EDP number (93718), leading to both EDPs being activated simultaneously, which resulted in unauthorized salary disbursements. The erroneous payments ceased in May 2023 once the mistake was detected. The officer involved has agreed to reimburse a total of $9,578, having made an initial payment of $3,178 and committing to clear the remaining balance through monthly installments of $500 starting in April 2024.
Public Service Commission chairman Luke Rokovada condemned the incident as “unacceptable,” emphasizing systemic failures in internal auditing processes, and raised concerns that some officials may have knowingly allowed such mistakes to persist for personal gain.
The audit also highlighted other significant issues within the ministry, such as biochemistry equipment worth $1.2 million that had remained unused for a year due to a lack of supplies, and a backlog of overpayments exceeding $744,000, along with discrepancies in Value Added Tax accounts. The report advocates for stronger supervisory checks within payroll processing to mitigate future errors.
This incident reflects ongoing challenges within the ministry that echo previous findings, including unresolved salary overpayments reported by the Ministry in 2022. Measures have since been implemented to decentralize operations and enhance internal controls to prevent similar occurrences.
Overall, while these issues raise serious concerns, they also pave the way for necessary reforms to improve governance, accountability, and financial management within public institutions. The commitment to rectify these discrepancies presents an opportunity to restore public trust and enhance the efficiency of government operations moving forward.
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