CSC

The phone bills of the members of The Civil Services Commission (CSC) are paid against The Civil Services Law, The Audit Office has said.

The Audit Report for The Civil Services Commission for 2010, endorsed by Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim and published on Audit Office’s website today, said that the phone bills of the members of the Civil Services Commission are paid without the approval of The Majlis, which conflicts with Section 20 of The Civil Services Law.

The Civil Services Commission consists of five employees, and its Law states that the salaries and privileges of its members require the approval of The Majlis.

“Since members’ phone bills come under privileges, it is believed that the payment of these phone bills are in conflict with the aforementioned Law,” said the 21-page report.

It has been requested that the members repay this money to the State Consolidate Revenue Fund. The Commission has also been informed not to give any privileges to members without the approval of The Majlis.

The Audit Report does not indicate how much money was spent on the members’ phone bills.

The Auditor General also noted that documentation on members’ travels are not kept in accordance with The Treasury Law 5.13.

The Report noted one case, where two extra days were paid for from the Commission’s budget, when two members of the Commission travelled to New Delhi for The Meeting of The Chief of Public Services Commission of SAARC Chamber States. It also indicated that it is known that SAARC Secretaries covered the food and lodging expenditures for this trip. The Commission is therefore asked to collect the money spent on this trip from these two members.

“Proceedings such as these increase the government’s budget, and also every extra day the members spend abroad is a day lost of their services to the state,” says The Report.

The Audit Report does not, however, reveal how much money was spent on these travels or the names of the two members who were involved.

Another case noted was of a member of the Commission who undertook a study tour of seven days, but had to return to Maldives before the seven days were complete, and did not repay the USD 888 he owed the Commission due to the shortening of the trip.

Treasury Law 5.13 states that complete reports have to be filed of all travels abroad within three days of the completion of the travels, and that any remaining money must returned to the Commission.

The Auditor General also noted that equipment belonging to the Commission are not documented properly. For example, there is no registry for the fixtures bought for UNDP’s Best Practice Program, and also no records are held of equipment which were auctioned.