THE Penang government, which has adopted the Compatibility, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) policy, has been asked to take corrective measures to enhance its level of integrity in managing public funds.
Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang said lack of close supervision and training for officers in state agencies had attributed to weaknesses in finance management and preparation of financial statements.
He called on the state government to buck up. However, the A-G said albeit the weaknesses, the implementation of financial management accountability index had shown improvement.
Although Penang had recorded a surplus budget of RM87.99mil last year, its cash reserve shrunk by 46.1% (RM2.47mil) from RM5.36mil in 2007 to RM2.89mil last year.
Revenue collection increased from RM295.86mil in 2007 to RM371.14mil in 2008.
The A-G also noted that the state earned a significant amount from changing the land status in the Southwest district, Seberang Prai Tengah and Seberang Prai Selatan.
The state earned RM35.21mil from land conversion activities last year, compared with RM8.34mil in 2007.
The state also earned a hefty sum from awarding mineral relocation permits. It raked in RM10.7mil from royalty payment last year compared with RM3.52mil in 2007.
The A-G also called on the state government to continue with its effort to collect outstanding dues totalling RM74.12mil from quit rent and low cost housing, among others.
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