Higher Education Commission directed to tighten controls following fraud case

Following a case of incidental fraud, the Fiji Higher Education Commission has been directed to tighten its controls and move to cashless operations.

This issue was highlighted when the Commission appeared before the Public Accounts Committee regarding the 2021–2022 Audit Report.

While responding to a question from Assistant Minister for Finance and Committee Chair Esrom Immanuel, Commission Records and Policy Manager Frentina Andrea says that during the reporting period, there was an unauthorized approval of expenditure.

She says according to the Commission’s finance policy, there are delegated thresholds, and each person along the approval chain requires authorization from a reporting officer.

Andrea says in this instance, the staff member in question—who held a position of authority—approved expenditure without seeking the proper approvals.

She says that an investigation was conducted by an external firm, and the findings led to the staff member’s termination.

The Manager also confirmed that the amount was recovered through deductions prior to their exit.

Immanuel stressed that, as highlighted by the auditors, the Commission’s internal controls need to be strengthened.