LOCAL BODY ACCOUNTS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 257, 8 October 1931, Page 5

LOCAL BODY ACCOUNTS

DELAY IN AUDITING DIFFICULTY NOW OVERCOME The New Zealand Society of Accountants has been representing to the Government the long delays which have occurred in carrying out the audit of local body accounts. There have been some instances oi' the audit being very much in arrear, and the society made the suggestion that in such cases it should be undertaken by public accountants at the request of the Audit Department. At the last meeting of the society's executive council, at which Mr. J. M. Elliffe presided, and the members present were Messrs. R. Davis (Palmerston North), J. L. Griffin, Ernest W. Hunt, and H. Valintine (Wellington), a reply was received from the Prime Minister in the course of which he stated: — "In the first place it is admitted that in the past there have been some instances of delay in connection with the audit, of local body accounts, but I am given to understand that in many instances the delay has been due to the neglect of the officers of the local bodies concerned to complete their accounts within a reasonable time after the close of the financial year. The particular instance referred to in your letter was a case in point. "Another cause of delay was insufflcieny in past years of audit staff. This cause, however, is now disappearing, as additional inspectors have been trained to undertake the work of auditing, and the past, arrears have agreed, the work of the Audit Office now, with the exception of a few in-; stances, been overtaken. "On the whole, I think it will be in connection with local body accounts has been uniformly well car-1 vied out. and having regard to all the circumstances I do not consider that the Government would be ."justified in abandoning the system at present •obtaining. I may mention, however, that your society can assist in improving matters by advocating the employment by local bodies of accountants who are members of your society. In this connection I am assured that the Audit Office, through its inspectors, consistently brings before the notice of local bodies the advisability of making such appointments."