Page 4777 - Week 15 - Thursday, 8 December 1994
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The Government has decided to introduce a number of measures to make the payment of rates more convenient. These new measures include introducing a staggered billing system to reduce queuing at payment centres. That will also have an effect on the Revenue Office's workload. We included enabling ratepayers to make payments via direct debit, introducing a budget payment plan for rates liabilities, and discontinuing the practice of removing the right to pay by instalments if payments are overdue. Mr Deputy Speaker, the introduction of these new measures may also have an effect on staffing levels in the Revenue Office and clearly needs to be taken into account in that review activity.
In relation to the publicly unaccountable Government activities, the PAC listed in its report the following activities of Government as being, in their view, publicly unaccountable: The Workers Compensation Supplementation Fund, the nominal insurer and the Racecourse Development Fund. I previously advised the Assembly that each of these activities would prepare financial statements which would be audited by the Auditor-General and presented in the Assembly. As an interim measure, determinations have been made under section 32 of the Audit Act 1989 to ensure that each of these activities prepares financial statements in accordance with the guidelines which apply to all other commercial operations of government. The determinations also require that the accounts relating to these activities be audited by the Auditor-General and be tabled in the Assembly. As a result of this interim measure, financial statements for 1993-94 have been prepared for each of these activities. These statements are in accordance with the guidelines and have now been audited and tabled in the Assembly.
The Government is currently developing legislation which will bring the activities of the Workers Compensation Supplementation Fund and the nominal insurer within the mainstream accountability framework of the Audit Act. The Racecourse Development Fund is currently under review within the context of developing consolidated racing legislation. The issue of public accountability raised by the PAC, and quite rightly raised, will be factored into this review and appropriate long-term financial disclosure arrangements will be introduced. In addition, Mr Deputy Speaker, the current review of financial management policies and legislation is examining the appropriate reporting and accountability requirements for all government activities. I believe that by the end of this review the Territory will have made significant advances in financial accountability and management.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank, again, the Public Accounts Committee for its work on this issue. I share their view about the improvement of accountability. I believe that the Government has demonstrated a commitment to working to ensure that all of the Government's operations are well and truly accountable, as they ought to be. I would like to acknowledge the vital role that the Public Accounts Committee has in scrutinising the expenditure of public moneys and also ensuring that that expenditure is fully accountable.
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