No standard operating procedure
THE Ministry of Education does not have a specific standard operating procedure (SOP) for student bus fare assistance program, the Public Accounts Committee has found after a review of the report on Performance Audit on the Administration and Management of Bus Fare Assistance through E-Ticketing for the School Children, Elderly and Persons with Disability by the Auditor-General.
PAC has recommended that the ministry expedite the finalisation of the transport assistance policy which is under review and relook at its SOPs in consultation with relevant stakeholders to align it with the Electronic Fare Ticketing Act 2014.
PAC found the Education Ministry was using its policy on transport assistance as standard operating procedures.
“The policy was prepared to play a dual role as a policy guideline while also detailing procedures for the management and operation of the bus fare assistance program.
“Review of the policy noted that it only deals with internal stakeholders and does not cover the role of the external stakeholder which is the e-ticketing services provider.
“This has led to the absence of reporting between the ministry and the e-ticketing service provider as required under the Electronic Fare Ticketing Act 2014.
“This has resulted in differences between the records of the ministry and the e-ticketing service provider as proper reconciliations were not done.”
PAC found the Department of Social Welfare indicated that the draft of its SOP is yet to be finalised and endorsed.