Monday, July 22, 2024/// DYCA PIO
Yap, FSM— The Committee of Finance of the 11th Legislature of the State of Yap held two public hearings on Yap State’s 2025 Fiscal Year Comprehensive Budget last week, July 17th, 2024, at the Legislature Chamber. The hearing was pertaining to Gov. Comm. No. 11-249 regarding FY2025 Proposed Budget Proposals for the Yap State Government for the Office of Administrative services(OAS) at 1PM.
The Office of Administrative attendees included the Acting Director of the Office of Administrative Services (OAS), the Chief of Finance, Chief of Procurement, and Chief of Budget. The Chairman of Finance Pius Talimeisei, a member of the Committee of Finance, Speaker Nicolas Figirlaarwon, and legislative staff were also present. Their proposed budget for the Office of OAS for FY2025 was $1,149,305. Then the Executive Budget Review Committee(EBRC), after their review and made some adjustments, the budget came down to a recommended amount of $1,002,696. The Acting Director presented the budget proposal, emphasizing the need for funds to keep the office functional. The Chairman opened the floor for comments and questions, leading to discussions on staffing issues, including vacant positions and new roles created before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conversation shifted to various divisions within OAS, such as administrative services, accounting, and the computer center. There were clarifications about new positions and the impact of salary adjustments. Issues with tax collection and the effect of personnel changes were discussed. It was revealed that some tax collectors had resigned due to better pay elsewhere, and there were questions about the alignment of proposed salaries with actual pay scales. The Chief of Budget explained the discrepancies and the need to align salaries with approved pay scales.
Further discussions highlighted cash flow issues and the government's outstanding debts to the private sector. The Vice Speaker and others raised concerns about the implementation of the new pay scale and the need for prompt payment to the private sector to maintain good relations. The Chief of Finance explained the challenges with cash flow and the process of managing payments. The discussion also touched on the importance of regular reconciliation of government obligations to avoid discrepancies and ensure timely payments. Finally, the archive division's processes were questioned, including the efficiency of retrieving information and the move towards digitizing records.
(For more information, please contact YSL at (691)350-2400. Thank you.)
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