PUBLIC REVENUE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
62. It was necessary during the year for an Order to be made by His Excellency the Governor under the Public Revenue Protection Ordinance restricting withdrawals from Bond (vide Government Notification No. 313 Government Gazette No. 23 of the 23rd May 1932).
CROWN AGENTS FOR THE COLONIES.
CASH AND INVESTMENTS.
63. Certificates of the Comptroller and Auditor-General have been received for all Assets held by the Crown Agents on behalf of this Government, on the 31st December, 1932.
SURPRISE SURVEYS.
64. Surprise Surveys of Cash, Stamps etc. have been made throughout the year, as reported in the Quarterly Returns, with satisfactory results.
QUERIES.
65. Two hundred and sixty-three queries were issued on the accounts for the year, of which ninety related to revenue and one hundred and seventy-three to expenditure and stores. With the exception of those enumerated in Enclosure G, all have been settled.
Among the larger amounts recovered and payments stopped due to Audit submissions were £72 on account of a passage, Rs.521.13.11 on account of overpaid salary, and $409.64 on an undercollection of Import Duties, etc.
GENERAL.
66. No material departure from the approved programme of work has been made.
The work of this Department has been greatly increased during the past year owing to the new methods of the calculation of duties, the Shing Mun Gorge Dam Accounts etc.; all of which, in view of the reduction of staff referred to in paragraphs 62 and 63 of the report for 1931, makes the audit of the Accounts increasingly difficult to contend with.
If Audit is to be carried out satisfactorily, an increase of staff in the near future will be necessary.
T. DALLIN, Acting Auditor.
Victoria, Hong Kong.
27th July, 1933.