30/07/2016

'Pervasive' lapses in WP town council

Update 1 Nov 2018: Audit cases reported by the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) from 2012 to 2017

The landmark Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) trial centers around the alleged mismanagement of public monies by Workers' Party (WP) leaders. Since so much attention, effort and money that has gone into this matter since 2012, I couldn't help but wonder — what was the scale of WP's alleged mismanagement relative to AGO's audit findings for all government agencies?

As a Singaporean, I'd like to have an objective assessment of how much of our taxpayer's money was mismanaged, regardless of who mismanaged it. Since AGO audit issues are published yearly, I took a data-driven approach and measured the size and scale of Worker's Party's audit lapses vis-a-vis all other audit cases listed by AGO from 2012 to 2017. (You can read about my data-gathering and data-processing approach in detail)

This articles hopes to summarize 5 years' worth of AGO reports (and perhaps several weeks' worth of time of reading them) into a 5-minute article.

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WP MPs 'have not shown integrity'
Mr Shanmugam (above) criticised AHTC chairman Pritam Singh "for suppressing the truth (designed to mislead) both in Parliament and in Court"

Workers' Party (WP) leaders have not shown integrity or ethics in managing their town council's finances and fixing lapses, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said yesterday.

In a strongly-worded FaceBook post, he called on WP's 6 elected MPs to come clean on millions in irregular payments in its "dark corners", sums that were flagged by independent auditor KPMG in its report on WP-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) last week.

KPMG found "pervasive" control failures in AHTC's accounts and processes over the past five years, spanning governance, financial control, financial reporting, procurement and records management.

related:
'Pervasive' lapses found in WP town council
KPMG flags pattern of accounting breaches
Aljunied-Hougang TC auditors find 'pervasive',systemic lapses and lax controls

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KPMG report on AHTC paints 'devastating account' of town council mismanagement: Shanmugam
KPMG’s damning Report on AHTC, millions not properly accounted for, KPMG questions integrity and ethics of AHTC

Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam on Sat (Jul 23) said accounting firm KPMG’s 4th monthly report on the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) paints “a devastating account of the Workers’ Party’s mismanagement of its town council”.

In a FaceBook post, Mr Shanmugam described the findings as “a damning litany of highly irregular & suspicious financial practices, poor governance structures and extensive leadership failures”.

The KPMG report, which was made public by AHTC late on Wed night, uncovered lapses in its audit of the town council. KPMG had said AHTC would need "at least 18 months" to fix lapses uncovered by the firm. It also stated that it found a further 70 control failures within the town council, in addition to the 115 control failures earlier identified by the Auditor-General's Office.

related: KPMG findings on AHTC lapses of 'grave concern': HDB

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K Shanmugam Sc · 23 July via Facebook Mentions · Edited
KPMG’s damning Report on AHTC, millions not properly accounted for, KPMG questions integrity and ethics of AHTC

The latest monthly progress report on Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) issued by KPMG paints a devastating account of the Workers’ Party’s mis-management of its town council. It is a damning litany of highly irregular and suspicious financial practices, poor governance structures & extensive leadership failures.

KPMG, AHTC’s own independent accountants, has uncovered even more faults than the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) and AHTC’s statutory auditors. AGO and AHTC’s statutory auditors found 115 failures. KPMG uncovered another 70 – making a total of 185 failures. Since the AGO audit, the situation has not gotten better. It has gotten far worse. KPMG says:
  • AHTC’s “control failures,” were “pervasive, cutting across the key areas of governance, financial control, financial reporting, procurement and records management over the course of 5 years.”
  • There was no “culture of compliance to controls”. 
  • “There was no ….…enforcement of integrity and ethical values,” 
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Shanmugam slams AHTC for ‘breezy’ attitude on KPMG report

Not only does the latest report by KPMG on Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) show that “the rot is at the top”, the town council’s breezy response to the report shows no sense of responsibility, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam.

KPMG’s latest monthly progress report had identified an additional 70 “control failures” in the town council’s governance, financial control and reporting, procurement, and records management over 5 years, and also flagged a “pervasive” culture of systemic weaknesses.

In a FaceBook post on Sat (Jul 23), Mr Shanmugam took issue with a statement from AHTC chairman Pritam Singh.

related: KPMG report details root causes of AHTC lapses

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Aljunied-Hougang town council accepts auditors' 'reset' call

Auditors of Workers' Party-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) have found "pervasive control failures" in its accounts and work processes over the past 5 years.

These weaknesses cover key areas of governance, financial control, financial reporting, procurement & records management.

In a report yesterday, KPMG also found that the town council's management lapses went beyond individual issues and were a systemic problem.

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'Pervasive' lapses found in WP town council

Auditors of the Workers' Party-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) had harsh words for the way it was managed, saying they found "pervasive" control failures in its accounts and work processes over the past 5 years.

These weaknesses cover key areas of governance, financial control, financial reporting, procurement and records management, KPMG said in a report on Wednesday.

In all, KPMG flagged 6 areas where AHTC's control environment had failed to set the foundation for discipline and structure for its internal workings. These include the lack of communication and enforcement of integrity and ethical values.

related: KPMG flags pattern of accounting breaches

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AGO report: Workers' Party calls for transparency in remedial actions

The Workers' Party on Mon (Aug 1) said that the multiple lapses in public sector spending and governance flagged in the Auditor-General's Office report released last Tuesday are "matters of grave public concern" & should be adequately addressed by the Government.

The Opposition party said in its press release that of particular concern are "recurring lapses taking place under one ministry".

Referring to the lapses reported of the Ministry of Education, the WP said that more than half of the scholars selected by the AGO for test-checks failed to fulfil their scholarship obligations to Singapore, as well as the "worrying trend" in the pattern of lapses in procurement, tender & giving preferential access to a related party across several institutions.

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Full Coverage:
KPMG report on AHTC paints 'devastating account' of TC mismanagement
Shanmugam slams AHTC for 'breezy' attitude on KPMG report
Aljunied-Hougang town council accepts auditors' 'reset' call
WP MPs 'have not shown integrity'
KPMG findings on AHTC lapses of 'grave concern': HDB
Aljunied-Hougang Town Council auditors find 'pervasive', systemic
KPMG report details root causes of AHTC lapses
Workers' Party town council lapses detailed in KPMG report; AHTC
Aljunied-Hougang town council accepts auditors' 'reset' call
Town Councils Act to be beefed up soon
KPMG starts review of past payments made by AHTC
Aljunied-Hougang Town Council appoints KPMG as accountants
AHTC appoints KPMG to check books
'Safeguards in place' so AHTC will get $12.9m of grants
Changes to Town Council Act likely by year end: Minister
$10m funds transfer for Punggol East authorised
AHTC wants more time to pick Big Four firm
Punggol East funds to be transferred after audit
Report details 'root causes' of AHTC lapses
Court orders WP-run town council to appoint accountants from one
WP town council taking steps to fix lapses
Duplication of work' on Punggol East accounts: AHTC
KPMG starts review of past payments made by AHTC
AHTC appoints KPMG to check books
Aljunied-Hougang Town Council appoints KPMG as accountants
WP town council taking steps to fix lapses
WP town council says it has transferred $10 million more
Accountants should work together to look into Punggol East
Most town councils perform well in all areas; room for improvement
AHTC: Last of Punggol East sinking funds to be transferred after audit
AHTC to award contract on Town Council Accounting System 'shortly'
Ensure town councils are run properly
Report details 'root causes' of AHTC lapses
'Duplication of work' on Punggol East accounts: AHTC
AHTC, PRPTC tangle over access to accounts
KPMG starts review of past payments made by AHTC
AHTC appoints KPMG to audit its books
Workers' Party-run AHTC appoints KPMG as accountants
Remediation Status from KPMG Report dated 20 July 2016
Monthly Report on Progress - Aljunied-Hougang Town Council
AHTC receives KPMG's first monthly report, submits to HDB
KPMG starts review of past payments made by AHTC
KPMG's Monthly Report dated 13 May 2016 (Full Report)
KPMG starts review of past payments made by AHTC, Politics
Shanmugam Slams AHTC for 'Breezy' Attitude on KPMG Report
Shanmugam slams AHTC for 'breezy' attitude on KPMG report
Singapore KPMG report on AHTC paints 'devastating account' of
Shanmugam slams AHTC for breezy attitude on KPMG report - SG Talk
Shanmugam slams AHTC for 'breezy' attitude on KPMG report
KPMG report on AHTC paints devastating account of town council
KPMG report on AHTC paints 'devastating account' of town council
KPMG report details root causes of AHTC lapses - Sqfeed Journal
Shanmugam slams AHTC for 'breezy' attitude on KPMG report
At least 18 months needed for AHTC to fix lapses, KPMG says in latest
KPMG: Root causes of AHPETC lapses created by government's Town.
Shanmugam slams AHTC for 'breezy' attitude on KPMG report – Yoshi
WP town council taking steps to fix lapses
Aljunied-Hougang, Pasir Ris-Punggol town councils to get MND grants
MND to disburse AHPETC S&CC operating grants
AHTC yet to hand in financial documents to new town council
AHTC: Last of Punggol East sinking funds to be transferred after audit
Town councils scored largely well across board in FY2015 report
Most town councils perform well in all areas; room for improvement
WP town council says it has transferred $10 million more of Punggol
Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council appoints PWC as accountant
AHTC ordered to appoint Big Four firm

Accountants should work together to look into Punggol East

Social Media on KPMG's Report:

Think AGO report is not a wayang? Think again
Pritam Singh - KPMG has released its second report to... | Facebook
Pritam Singh faults Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council's statement

HDB not given a carte blanche to look into AHTC’s affairs
WP town council to go back to court – again
Sylvia Lim clears up allegations against WP regarding AHPETC
Scale of Government’s lapses dwarf those of AHTC’s
Charles Chong is ‘factually incorrect’ alleges Pritam
PAP MPs prefer to defend their interests in Facebook, not Court
Pritam Singh faults Pasir Ris-Punggol TC’s statement, calls it ‘misleading’
Law Minister K Shanmugam bark at Opposition Town Council
Root causes of AHPETC lapses created by government’s Town Council
MP Pritam Singh: FB Fabrications About the PAP fabricate slanderous stories
Why Aljunied MP Pritam Singh was picked to be Chairman of AHTC
PAP town council ‘no show’ in an apex court case presided by Chief Justice
This is Why Aljunied Always Fails Town Councils’ Reports

AHPETC: Lawless in Aljunied or WP Laws in Aljunied?
Auditor-General issues damning report on People’s Association
Workers' Party MPs appeal for support to fight town council lawsuits