After completion of this three-stage review the Director of Accounting Services will introduce new checking procedures to controlling officers for carrying out six- monthly checks. The Director of Accounting Services has designed new forms for payment of shift duty allowance, requiring controlling officers to quote the relevant authority for payment of the allowance. Without this, claims will not be processed for payment. The Director will also review the input forms for other allowances.
67.
With regard to the review of the principles and practices of all job-related allowances currently being carried out by the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service, I have recently been informed by the Secretary for the Civil Service that the Commission is expected to submit its report on the results of the review towards the end of 1985.
68.
With regard to the overpayment of allowances in various departments brought to notice in my two previous reports:
69.
an amount of $25,000 in overpayments of shift duty allowance has been recovered from staff of the Engineering Development Department;
an amount of $1.5 million in overpayments of special subsistence allowance to watchmen of the Supreme Court was written off by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council in March 1985; and
applications for write-off of amounts of $305,000 and $1 million, in overpayments of obnoxious duty allowance to staff of the Regional Services Department and the Medical and Health Department, and of $577,000 in shift duty allowance to staff of the Electrical and Mechanical Services
Department, are currently under consideration by the Finance Branch of the Government Secretariat.
Procurements under single tender arrangements. Procurement of stores and services in the Government is normally arranged through competitive tendering as an effective means to secure economy. There are however cases where competitive tendering is not appropriate and the circumstances are such that the needs of the procuring department can only be met from one source. In such cases, a single tender will be invited from the sole supplier. The Government stores regulations prescribe in general terms the procedures to be followed when calling for single tenders, including the level of authority required for the approval of an offer. Where the tender