Page 23.
55
ADVANCES - £37,867,990.27
107. As in the case of the Deposit accounts referred to in paragraph 80 of this report, the Accountant General was unable to give complete information as to which accounts had been reconciled with departmental records at the 31st March, 1947, but stated that action is being taken to effect reconciliations at the 31st March, 1948.
108. Advances pending raising of Loan - $30,360,746.70. With reference to paragraph 68 of this report, examination of the schedule of expend- iture, authorised by the Legislative Council, to be charged as an advance from the Surplus funds of the Colony, reveals that the expenditure so approved corresponds in total, and under certain items (heads) and subheads, with the expenditure as recorded in the Accountant General'ı accounts. In numerous instances, however, the classification of expenditure recorded in the Accountant General's accounts under the Advance Account "Advances pending raising Loan" does not accord with the classification of items (heads) and subheads set out in the schedule approved by the Legislative Council, although the services on which the expenditure has been incurred generally correspond in both the Accountant General's accounts and the schedule. A detailed list of the discrepancies observed is set out in Annexure I(B).
109. Advances
**
Colonial Development & Welfare Accounts. Included in the balance of $6,620,953.55 shown in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as Advances "Other Administrations", are three accounts to which Colonial Development and Welfare Act expenditure has been charged under approved Schemes. In the case of one of these Schemes, Soheme No.R.94, "Fisheries Research", the Acting Accountant General has admitted that the expenditure amounting to $2,447.30 is incorrectly charged to Advances and should have been met from an approved head of expenditure in accordance with the authorised accounting procedure. It is observed, however, that no provision has been made in the Estimates for 1946/47 for Receipts or Expenditure under Colonial Development and Welfare Schemes. The matter was brought to the notice of the Colonial Secretary and was referred to in the Report to the Director General of Colonial Audit on the Annual Audited Statements of Colonial Development and Welfare Expenditure for 1946/47 (See paragraph 154 of this report).
110.
In the case of the other two approved schemes, Nos. D.697A "Scholarships - $5,649.97" and 677A "Social Science Course - $9,671.40", the expenditure has been incurred on account of sohemes administered by the Colonial Office in accordance with the Secretary of State's Circular Telegram Saving dated 18th December, 1946. The attention of the Accountant General has been drawn to the necessity to claim reimbursement from the Colonial Office in accordance with the procedure authorised in the Secretary of State's Accounts Savingram of 10th February, 1947.
–
undu að van LED
111. Expenditure has also been charged in the accounts as schemes approved under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act in respect of "Federation of British Industries Apprenticeships $19,453.86" and "Capt. Tsui, Administrative Cadet $3,889.90". No approved estimate or authority for either of these schemes has been seen and the Accountant General has been asked to furnish further information in this connection.
112. Advances
£565.140.15.3.
London Accounts Office Balance Sheet All balances on Advance Accounts shown as outstanding in the Hong Kong London Accounts Office Balance Sheet at the 30th of April, 1946 (Appendix 5 of the Financial Report), were brought into the accounts
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.