Performance of aid scheme satisfactory

KOTA KINABALU: The performance of the Sabah General Assistance Scheme (SBAM) under the Sabah Welfare Services Department (JPKAS) was satisfactory, especially in terms of distribution of allocation, approval of application according to fixed quota and monitoring of the district welfare office.

However, according to AuditorGeneral’s Report 2016 Series 2 released yesterday, there was a drop in terms of quota approved from 46.5 percent in 2015 to 45.3 percent last year.

“To ensure that SBAM is efficiently and effectively managed, it is recommended that JPKAS review the fixed quota to be proportionate to the applications received and the rate be revised so that more eligible applicants can benefit from the assistance,” the report said.

The audit also found that 161 or 16 percent of the 1,004 applications were approved without verification from the division assistant director or district welfare officers, while two of the three SBAM arbitration committees did not hold the required number of meetings.

In addition the report also stated that there were no specific and clear guidelines on reporting of attendance in managing the scheme.

The audit recommended that JPKAS provided clear and comprehensive guidelines so that the system of payment for approved applications could be standardised.

It was also recommended that the department introduced the fingerprint scanner to track attendance and for effective workforce management. Bernama