Government starts audit into rental-payment arrangements

National

AN audit into government departments to justify arrangements for rental payments  started this week,  Personnel Management Secretary John Kali says.
Kali told The National that he was preparing an information brief to present to Cabinet the details of where each government department was housed.
“We are carrying out physical inspections of the all buildings that house the government departments, including Sir Manasupe House and Morauta House,” he said.
“Once the physical inspection is completed, I will present to the Finance Department the leases indicating the agencies, the rented offices and the cost involved.
Cabinet had directed the audit following locking out of some government departments and agencies by landlords for the non-payment of rent, the latest being the Conservation Environment Protection Authority (yesterday) located at the bmobile Building in Waigani.
Treasurer Charles Abel said there was an under-budget on the rentals of about K178 million in the national budget.