Make every dollar count, says audit director

Government departments and public organisations should take the lead in cutting cost and increasing revenue in light of a budget deficit, the director of audit said. Speaking on a TVB programme, Nelson Lam noted there is less corruption in the public sector these days, and government workers are being more careful with spending. Lam said the Audit Commission will therefore focus more on public organisations and funds going forward, especially when it comes to big projects involving a lot of public money. "We have been looking at whether spending is economical or not. In fact, we will pay more attention to larger expenditures and those involving more public funds," he said. On the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute, under the Innovation and Technology Commission, bearing the cost of the allowance beyond the permitted amount incurred in some business trips as revealed by the latest audit report, Lam said that affected the government's overall expenditure and image. "For us, it's quite surprising. I find it strange why people still make these kinds of mistakes. But I want to emphasise one thing – I hope all public servants understand that when you work in public service, it should be for the public good, not for personal gain," he said. Lam also said future audit work may require cross-border data sharing because of greater cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong, including the expansion of elderly healthcare vouchers to mainland cities.