SINGAPORE : Singapore's Finance Ministry has spelt
out in detail the approval powers of officers, starting from the
Permanent Secretary, for contracts for their respective
ministries.
Spelt out in the Government Contracts
(authorisation) Notification 2011 in the Government Gazette, the
regulations emphasise that Permanent Secretaries can approve all
contract sums.
In the case of some other ministries, both the
Permanent Secretary and the Deputy Secretary have powers to approve
all contract sums.
But for others, there are caps to the amount the Deputy Secretary
can approve and the amount decreases as it goes down the line of
approving officers.
Taking the example of the Transport Ministry, the Deputy Secretary
can approve contracts not exceeding S$10 million.
In the Ministry of Defence, the Deputy Secretary can approve
contracts not exceeding S$30 million.
In the case of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and
Sports, the Deputy Secretary can approve contracts not exceeding
S$1 million.
The system of approving government contracts came under scrunity
following the discovery of a nearly S$12 million fraud at the
Singapore Land Authority.
Following intense investigations, similar fraud cases committed by
the same suspects charged were also uncovered at the Intellectual
Property Office of Singapore and the Supreme Court.
- CNA/al