NSW Audit Office - Financial Reports - 2004 - Volume 4 - Compliance Review of Overseas Travel

Compliance Review of Overseas Travel Officers in the public sector are sometimes required to travel overseas in the course of their duties. The Premier has asked Ministers to exercise the strictest economy in approving this travel. Significant benefits to the Minister’s own administration and/or the State, in general, should be demonstrated before approval is given. Ministers were asked to maintain a close interest in the extent of, and justification for, official travel overseas in their portfolios. CONCLUSION The degree of compliance with all the necessary procedures and disclosures for when officers travel overseas in the agencies where the requirements are mandatory, could improve. (State Owned Corporations (SOCs) may use the policy as the basis for best practice - most achieved best practice.) The outcome in regard to disclosures of overseas travel in annual reports was satisfactory, although there were some omissions. KEY FINDINGS Overall, there has been a lack of compliance by agencies with the policy on overseas travel, particularly in regard to the existence of comprehensive policy documents; record keeping; and disclosure of details of travel in their annual reports. RECOMMENDATIONS We recommend that the policy on overseas travel be reissued to agencies to remind them of their responsibilities. DETAILED FINDINGS The findings presented below are from agencies that must follow the policy and from SOCs. The SOCs are identified in the table ...