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L.S. 601.01 Regolamenti dwar Finanzi Ġenerali

[ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL REGULATIONS 11th April, 2017 LEGAL NOTICE 100 of 2017. 1. The title of these regulations is the General Financial Regulations, 2017. 2. requires - In these regulations, unless the context otherwise "the Act" means the Public Finance Management Act; Cap. 601. "accounting system" means the accounting standards, policies and the electronic accounting software system either adopted or authorised by the Ministry responsible for Finance; "authorised bank" means any bank which for the time being is entrusted with the keeping of public moneys as defined in the Act; "below-the-line account" means those special funds and accounts, deposits and advances, the receipts and payments in respect whereof are not credited or debited to the Consolidated Fund; "Permanent Secretary" means the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry responsible for Finance; "Public Account" means the public account held by the Government of Malta with the Central Bank of Malta; "subsidiary accounting system" means any manual or electronic system, which would be subsidiary to the accounting system and in which financial transactions of whatever nature are recorded; "value" means the original value on date of acquisition; and "accounting officer", "Consolidated Fund", "estimates", "financial year", "Minister", "public moneys" "revenue" and "vote" have the same meaning as is assigned to them in article 2 of the Act. A. ACCOUNTING OFFICERS 3. The Accountant General shall be the chief accounting officer of the Government and, subject to these regulations and to such instructions as may, with the authority of the Minister, be issued by the Permanent Secretary, the accounting operations of the Government are under his general management and supervision. It shall be nevertheless the duty of all accounting officers to ensure that these regulations are duly observed. Accountant General. 1 2 [ S.L.601.01 Duties of Accountant General. GENERAL FINANCIAL 4. It shall be the duty of the Accountant General in his capacity as chief accounting officer (

  1. a)to see that the proper system of account is established in every department and to ensure that instructions are issued accordingly; (
  2. b)to exercise supervision over the receipts of public revenue and as far as possible to secure its punctual collection; (
  3. c)to bring promptly to account, under the proper heads and sub-heads, all moneys, whether revenue or other receipts, paid into the Treasury or accounted to him; (
  4. d)to ensure that proper provision is made for the safe keeping of all public moneys, stamps, entertainment duty tickets, securities and valuable documents; (
  5. e)to exercise supervision over all the officers of his department entrusted with the receipt or expenditure of public moneys, and over the accounting officers, and to take precautions, by the maintenance of efficient checks, including surprise inspections, against the occurrence of fraud, embezzlement or negligence; (
  6. f)to supervise the expenditure and other disbursements of the Government; to take care that no payment is made which is not covered by proper authority, expressed or referred to on the voucher relating to it; and, in case of any apparent extravagance or of any apparent defect in the provision for a charge owing to the exhaustion or absence of a vote, to call the attention of Government in writing to the matter; (
  7. g)promptly to charge in his accounts under the proper heads and items all disbursements of the Government, whether expenditure or other payments; and (
  8. h)to render the accounts for audit and to prepare the financial statements and returns. Irregularities in public accounts. 5. The Accountant General shall report to Government any material irregularity connected with the public accounts that may be brought to his notice. Responsibilities of accounting officers. 6.

(1)All accounting officers shall be personally responsible for the due performance of the financial duties of their departments or officers, for the proper collection and custody of all public moneys receivable by them, for expenditure and other disbursements and for the accuracy of the accounts rendered by them or under their authority. GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 3
(2)No officer will be relieved of any part of his responsibilities should he depute to his subordinates the performance of duties which he should have performed himself.
(3)The responsibility of the Auditor General for checking and reporting any shortcomings in connection with the public accounts or finances shall not absolve any officer from his responsibility for complying, or securing compliance, with instructions within the scope of his own authority.
(4)All accounting officers, operating or intending to operate subsidiary accounting systems, whether manual or electronic, are required to bring them to the attention of the Accountant General. B. THE ESTIMATES
  1. The Permanent Secretary shall be the chief financial adviser of the Government and is responsible for the preparation of the annual estimates of revenue and expenditure whilst their implementation shall be the responsibility of the Ministry in respect of which the respective estimates appear, in terms of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Permanent Secretary.
  2. The estimates of revenue and the estimates of expenditure of each department shall be prepared by the respective Head of Department and forwarded through the Minister responsible for his department to the Permanent Secretary together with any information that may be required including the provisions emerging from article 14 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Submission of estimates by Heads of Departments.
  3. The estimates shall be divided into such heads and sub- heads and items as the Minister may direct. They shall show against each item of revenue and expenditure the amount estimated for the coming financial year, the amount of the approved estimate of the current financial year and the actual revenue and expenditure of the last completed financial year. Division and subdivisions of estimates. 10.
(1)Where the expenditure of a department is provided partly by annual votes and partly by special law, the amount provided by law shall be suitably indicated so that the estimates will show under each head every item which is expected to come in course of payment during the year of estimate, including not only those which are submitted to the House of Representatives for discussion and appropriation but also those which, being already provided, are included in the estimates for information only. Expenditure provided by special law. Cap. 534. Cap. 534.
(2)The law authorising the provided expenditure shall be named in each case. 11. The estimates of revenue and the estimates of expenditure shall be preceded by abstracts showing the totals of all heads in the estimates. The abstracts shall show in separate columns - Abstracts of revenue and of expenditure. 4 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL (
  1. a)the actual revenue and expenditure of the last complete financial year; (
  2. b)the approved estimates for the current financial (
  3. c)year; and the revised estimates for the current financial year; (
  4. d)the estimated revenue and expenditure for the next following financial year. Estimates of revenue to include gross receipts. 12. The estimates of revenue shall include the gross receipts of Government, except repayments of advances, proceeds of loans appropriated by law for special works, receipts from sales of investments, deposits and remittances. They shall include all fees, dues, fines and rents payable into the Treasury. Heads of revenue. 13. The revenue shall be arranged under comprehensive heads. It falls generally into four broad classes: (
  5. a)receipts; duties, taxes, licences, fees and other similar (
  6. b)services; receipts for, or in aid of, specific Government (
  7. c)receipts on account of undertakings of a commercial character; and (
  8. d)revenue from Government property such as land, houses and investments. Subdivision of heads of revenue. 14. The said classes may be subdivided into several heads. No head, however, shall comprise items coming under different classes and revenue derived from taxation should be easily distinguishable from revenue not so derived. Estimates of expenditure to be as accurate as possible. 15. The estimates of expenditure shall be framed so as to show as nearly as possible the amounts which it is expected will actually be spent during the financial year. Every head of expenditure shall include, as far as possible, all the items relating to that particular service so as to show clearly the total estimated cost of that service during the financial year. Departmental estimates not to include unauthorized provisions. 16. Each Head of Department shall ensure that all services that can be reasonably foreseen are included in his departmental estimate and that no unauthorized provision is inserted therein. Subdivision of estimates of expenditure. 17. The estimates of expenditure shall be subdivided under the headings "personal emoluments", "operational and maintenance expenses", "programmes and initiatives" and [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL 5 "contributions to Government entities". 18.
(1)Under "personal emoluments" there shall appear the basic salaries of public officers, all allowances such as personal, duty, entertainment, acting, expatriation and house allowances, allowances in lieu of quarters, fuel and light, clothing allowances paid in cash, fees, percentages or commissions, and social security contributions payable by Government as employer. Personal emoluments.
(2)Travelling and transport allowances being granted in consideration of expenditure on the public service are not to be included as items of personal emoluments.
(3)Pensionable emoluments shall be distinguished from those not pensionable by an asterisk or other indication. 19.
(1)Where an officer receives emoluments under more than one head, the fact shall be indicated by cross references or explanatory footnotes. Emoluments to be included.
(2)Any pension or compensation allowance or other emoluments in respect of public service, including the provision of an official residence, shall be also shown. 20. Under "operational and maintenance expenses" there shall be included all services of a recurrent nature other than personal emoluments which can be properly apportioned to the particular department. Operational and maintenance expenses. 21.
(1)The total personal emoluments of each department will make up one sub-head and small items under "operational and maintenance expenses" not of a distinctive character may be grouped under a sub-head of "incidental expenses". Items not so grouped shall be shown as separate sub-heads. Incidental expenses.
(2)No expenditure". provision shall be made for "unforeseen
  1. No items of receipt or expenditure shall be included under the head "miscellaneous" which can appropriately be placed under any other head, and, if necessary, new sub-heads shall be opened for any such items. Miscellaneous head.
  2. New heads or sub-heads shall be opened for items of receipt or expenditure not properly falling within any of those already appearing in the estimates. New heads and sub-heads.
  3. All proposals for new works or services or additional personnel for which it is desired to make provision in the estimates shall be forwarded in advance of estimates by Heads of Departments to the Permanent Secretary through the Minister responsible for their department. Proposals for new works or services or additional personnel. 6 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL Full information and accurate estimate to accompany proposals. 25.
(1)No proposal shall be advanced without full information on its financial aspects and as accurate an estimate as possible of the funds likely to be required. Provision of funds in excess of estimate.
(2)The provision of funds in excess of those estimated for may be refused unless it can be shown that the causes of the excess were beyond the knowledge or control of the department and that there was no negligence in the preparation of the original estimates. Explanations to accompany estimates.
  1. The estimates shall be accompanied by explanations respecting every item of an unusual nature therein comprised and of any important difference under each item between the proposed expenditure or anticipated revenue and the approved estimates for the preceding year, as shown in the parallel columns. Capital expenditure.
  2. Estimates for works and services of a capital nature shall be drawn up in accordance with such instructions as may be issued from time to time by the Minister. Statement of assets and liabilities and statement of the estimated financial position.
  3. The estimates shall be accompanied by a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Government at the close of the last completed financial year, and a statement showing the estimated financial position of the Government at the beginning of the financial year to which the estimates relate. Revised estimates of expenditure. 29.
(1)The Permanent Secretary may, as and when required during the financial year, call upon Heads of Departments to submit forecasts of the total estimated expenditure to be brought to charge during the financial year under the heads of expenditure under their control.
(2)Such forecasts shall show for each sub-head of the estimates the amount provided, the anticipated expenditure, and any variations from the amount provided, together with an explanation for such variations and with references to any authorities which may have been obtained therefor. Excesses. 30.
(1)The insertion in such forecasts of an anticipated excess does not of itself constitute any authority for incurring it.
(2)Such authority shall be in each case applied for separately and full reasons shall be given justifying the excess expenditure. Revised estimates of revenue.
  1. Forecasts of revenue, on the same lines as those for expenditure, may be asked for by the Permanent Secretary as and when required during the course of the financial year. GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 7 C. RECEIPTS
  2. All receipt entries in the accounts shall be vouched for on the form prescribed by or under any law or regulation. Receipt entries in the accounts. 33.
(1)Except where otherwise provided and in cases where receipts are not required or the Minister has otherwise directed, accounting officers shall record all revenue in the accounting system. Where the revenue is recorded immediately in the accounting system, a receipt shall be generated. Where the receipt is issued from another subsidiary accounting system or manually, these receipts shall also be recorded in the accounting system and a receipt shall be generated from therein. Recording and receipting of revenue. Where manual receipts are issued, these must be from books of forms bearing printed consecutive numbers.
(2)Receipting of revenue, including the custody of receipts, shall be effected as directed by the Accountant General.
(3)Cancelled receipts shall be retained and recorded.
  1. All licences and permits for which payments are made shall be issued from counterfoil books printed with consecutive numbers. Licences and permits.
  2. Unless otherwise authorised by the Permanent Secretary, any sum of one hundred euro (€100) or upwards held by every accounting officer, other than the Accountant General, shall be deposited daily into an authorised bank or into the Public Account: Remittance to authorised bank or Public Account. Provided that all monies received, however small the amount, shall be deposited into an authorised bank or into the Public Account every Friday and on the last working day of the month.
  3. Revenue deposited at the Public Account shall be supported by a printed receipt copy and the Central Bank of Malta’s deposit slip and other documentation as may be required by the Accountant General. Publkic Account deposits and receipts.
  4. Whenever a public officer, not being a regular collector of revenue, receives public money, he shall pay it to the Accountant General or to the accounting officer of his department without delay, obtaining a receipt for the amount so paid in. Receipt of public money by an officer who is not a regular collector of revenue. 38.
(1)In all cases the gross amounts received shall be paid into or accounted for to the Treasury. Accounting of revenue to the Treasury.
(2)Subject to the provisions of regulation 46, gross receipts are to be credited to the proper sub-head of Revenue appearing in the estimates. 8 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL Use of public money.
  1. Between the time of receipt and the time of payment into an authorised bank or the Public Account, or to an accounting officer, no public money shall be made use of in any way whatsoever; nor shall any officer advance or lend any sum for which he is answerable to the Government. Loss of revenue by neglect or fault of officer.
  2. If at any time the public revenue sustains a loss by reason of the neglect or fault of any officer, he shall be liable to be surcharged with the amount. Payments by cheque. 41.
(1)Cheques may be accepted in payment of amounts due subject to the following provisions: (
  1. a)cheques drawn on persons or institutions abroad may only be accepted with the prior authority of the Head of Department; (
  2. b)no post-dated cheques may be accepted; (
  3. c)the validity thereof shall depend on bank clearance approval.
(2)Accounting officers shall forward daily to the authorised bank indicated for such purpose by the Accountant General any cheques received by them during the course of the day.
(3)All cheques received by departments, regardless of which bank they are drawn upon, shall be credited to the Public Account, or any authorised bank. Statement by accounting officers of revenue deposited. 42.
(1)All accounting officers shall forward to the Accountant General every Friday and on the last working day of each month, as well as on such days as the Accountant General may indicate, a statement showing the total revenue collected, allocated and deposited, together with the attached bank deposit slips.
(2)Where no revenue has been collected a "Nil" statement shall be sent to the Accountant General. Moneys received in deposit or trust.
  1. A weekly statement of moneys received in deposit or trust shall likewise be sent to the Accountant General. Explanation for omission of weekly statement.
  2. Where no weekly statement is sent to the Accountant General on the appropriate days in time for inclusion in the cash account, a satisfactory explanation shall be furnished by the Head of Department giving the reason for the omission. Revenue not to be allowed to fall into arrear. 45.
(1)The Accountant General shall report to the Permanent Secretary any failure on the part of an accounting officer to receive and duly account for any sums receivable by him.
(2)The Accountant General shall also report to the Permanent Secretary any case in which he may have reason to think GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 9 that the revenue is falling unduly into arrears.
(3)Heads of Departments shall similarly report in like circumstances to the Accountant General forwarding a copy of the report to the Auditor General. 46. Receipts of public moneys by way of recovery of overpayments, shall be accounted for as hereunder, namely: Recovery of over-payments. Accounting. (
  1. a)receipts in respect of overpayments from the Consolidated Fund shall be credited (
  2. i)to the sub-head of Revenue in those cases where an ad hoc sub-head is shown in the estimates; (
  3. ii)in other cases:
(1)to the head and sub-head of expenditure to which the overpayment was debited, if incurred from ordinary expenditure and recovered during the same financial year of overpayment;
(2)to Revenue under the head for miscellaneous receipts if made from ordinary expenditure in any financial year previous to that of recovery;
(3)in such manner as the Accountant General directs, if made from capital expenditure in any financial year; (b) receipts in respect of overpayments from any fund or from any below-the-line account made in any financial year shall be credited to the relative fund or below-the-line account, as the case may be. 47. Except in the case of customs and excise drawbacks, re-payment of duty over-entered, and repayments of tax collected under duties payable under the Duty on Documents and Transfers Act and income tax laws, and except where the Minister otherwise directs, all refunds of revenue, require the prior approval of the Permanent Secretary before payment is made. Refunds of revenue. 48.
(1)All officers charged with the supervision of the collection of other moneys due to the Government shall furnish to the Accountant General for transmission to the Auditor General annual returns in duplicate showing the state of the arrears in the collection of such sums, together with reasons for non-collection. Returns of arrears of revenue and of abandoned claims.
(2)Returns of arrears of revenue or abandoned claims shall Cap. 364. 10 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL be submitted as early as possible and in any case not later than the 31st March in each year and shall include all amounts due for collection on 31st December but remaining unpaid up to the end of the following January.
(3)In the event of there being no such arrears, a "Nil" return shall be furnished. D. PAYMENTS Disbursements of public moneys. 49.
(1)All disbursements of public moneys, be those held in Malta or abroad, shall be made under authority from the Minister by the Accountant General, who is the only officer authorised to make withdrawals from the Public Account or other accounts opened in terms of article 15 of the Act.
(2)Payments in other countries shall be made through through any bank or other agency as the Accountant General may deem appropriate at the time.
(3)Orders for payments from accounts mentioned in subregulation
(1)shall be signed by the Accountant General, or by any officer performing duty at the Treasury not below the grade of Principal whom the Accountant General may delegate for the purpose.
(4)The said orders shall also in each case be signed by the officer who for the time being shall be performing duty as cashier at the Treasury.
(5)Orders for payment from accounts kept with the Crown Agents or with such other person or persons as may have been appointed as aforesaid shall be signed by the Accountant General, the Assistant Accountant General or by any Principal doing duty at the Treasury whom the Accountant General may delegate to sign such orders on his behalf. Warrant of expenditure. 50. The warrant referred to in article 27
(2)of the Act shall be prepared by the Permanent Secretary. Payment on vouchers. 51.
(1)Every claim for the payment of public moneys shall be put into a voucher in such form as the Accountant General may direct, and shall be charged against the proper head and sub-head or account and certified by the Head of the Department concerned or by any other officer not below the grade of assistant principal whom that Head of Department may delegate to sign on his behalf and whom the Accountant General will have recognized as the proper officer for the purpose.
(2)All vouchers shall contain full particulars of the materials, works and services, such as dates, numbers, quantities, distances and rates, so as to enable them to be checked without GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 11 reference to any other document, and shall be accompanied by the relative invoices addressed to the department, sub-vouchers, bills, certificates and any other justifying documents.
(3)(
  1. a)On signing a voucher, the officer concerned shall confirm that all documentation is received before processing for payment, that the persons named in the vouchers are those entitled to receive payment, that the materials, works and services purchased have been duly taken on charge, and that the head and the sub-heads quoted can bear the charge. (
  2. b)The documentation received in accordance with paragraph (
  3. a)shall include certification by the officers placing the orders of the specified materials, works and services.
(4)When the materials, works and services specified have been duly provided, there shall be attached to the voucher a certificate stating that the payments are in accordance with the terms of the contract or agreement, and that what has been agreed has been received.
(5)In the case of payment on account no more shall be claimed than the cost of the work certified to have been performed.
(6)When a deduction is made from the amount payable on a contract in respect of a penalty or fine the net sum only shall be paid.
(7)The Head of Department is to ensure that there is sufficient segregation of duties in the ordering, payment and receiving processes of materials, works and services, as may be directed by the Accountant General. 52. In the event of an unauthorised payment being made in consequence of any incorrect certificate on a voucher, the officer who signed the certificate shall be held responsible and the amount may be surcharged against him. Unauthorised payments. 53.
(1)Payments made by one department on behalf of another department shall be claimed as soon as possible by the former department from the latter. Payments by one department for another.
(2)vouchers. Such claims must be accompanied by the original 54.
(1)All payments shall be made through the Treasury except where otherwise authorised.
(2)Unless the Accountant General deems it fit to make any other arrangements, vouchers for payment through the Treasury shall be presented complete in all respects as directed by the Accountant General. How payments are to be made. 12 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
(3)Payments up to one hundred euro (€100) may be made by departments direct.
(4)In the case of departments which are authorised in terms of article 13 of the Act to keep a bank account in their own names, payments over hundred euro (€100) shall be made by cheque or bank draft or electronic payments through that account. Such payments shall be signed by the Head of Department concerned or by an officer not below the grade of Principal delegated for that purpose by him and by another officer not below the grade of Executive Officer, subject to both such officers being recognised by the Accountant General as proper officers for the said purpose.
(5)The Minister may exempt any embassy, consular or other office of Malta abroad from compliance with the provisions of sub-regulation
(4), if he is satisfied that the circumstances of the place where the embassy, consular or other office is situated are such as to render that compliance extremely difficult or impossible.
(6)salaries. Paylists and vouchers. This regulation shall not apply to the payment of 55.
(1)In the case of salaries paid on a four weekly basis, the relative paylists or vouchers shall be prepared by the Office of the Prime Minister or such other government agency or department forming part or directly responsible to the said Office for the issue of salaries, from information furnished by departments in accordance with instructions issued by the Office of the Prime Minister from time to time.
(2)Payments shall be effected from the respective vote.
(3)The Office of the Prime Minister shall be responsible for the correctness of computations of salaries according to approved rates and regulations, for the proper deductions from salaries on account of contributions or other liabilities and shall certify each paylist or voucher accordingly.
(4)The Head of Department concerned shall be responsible for the correctness of all the information that he may be required to furnish to the Office of the Prime Minister or to such government agency or department as mentioned in sub-regulation
(1), for the purpose of computations of salaries and for all additions and deductions. He shall certify on the paylist or voucher that the salaries, increments and allowances for the period stated therein are due for services rendered by the persons named, that funds are available and that the incidence of charge is correct. Payments in cash. 56.
(1)In order to make payments in cash, accounting officers shall draw on the Treasury, by means of authorised forms, which shall be presented at the Treasury not later than three clear GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 13 working days before the day on which the cash is required. Such forms (in duplicate) and the respective vouchers, must be duly signed and complete in all respects. These forms are to be taken by the department to the Central Bank of Malta for collection of cash. A copy of the respective forms and other payment documents is to be retained by the department.
(2)In order to make payments by foreign bank draft, accounting officers shall draw on the Treasury, by means of authorised forms, which shall be presented at the Treasury not later than three clear working days before the day the draft is required. Such forms (in duplicate) and the respective vouchers, must be duly signed and complete in all respects. These drafts are to be collected by the department from the Central Bank of Malta. A copy of the respective forms and other payment documents is to be retained by the department.
  1. In the case of departments paying through their bank account by draft, the number of the draft is to be invariably inserted on the relative voucher and when the drafts are returned paid by the bank they shall be attached to the relative vouchers. Payments by draft.
  2. When cheques or drafts remain unpresented after the lapse of their legal validity, the department concerned shall remit the relative amounts to the Public Account and the transaction processed in the accounting system. Unpresented drafts. 59.
(1)Vouchers paid by departments in cash out of moneys drawn from the Treasury by schedule shall be returned to the Treasury duly receipted. Paid and unpaid vouchers..
(2)Any amounts remaining in hand in respect of unpaid vouchers shall be forthwith remitted to an authorised bank to the credit of the public account and shall be accounted for to the Treasury as an ordinary remittance. Remittance of unpaid amounts to authorised bank. 60.
(1)At the end of each month, accounting officers shall, as far as possible, call upon suppliers of materials, works and services to send in their claims. Preparation and submission of vouchers.
(2)Departments shall send vouchers payable on a daily basis for eventual processing. Such vouchers shall be duly certified by the accounting officer.
(3)In the last month of any financial year, all vouchers for materials, works and services made up to the 15th December shall be presented for payment as may be stipulated by the Accountant General. 61. The accounting officer concerned shall be responsible to verify that the incidence of charge is correct, that the payment will not cause an excess on the provision authorized for the Safeguards before payment. 14 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL service, that adequate information has been given on the voucher on the nature of the material delivered, the works or the services rendered, and that the certificate has been signed by the proper officer. Withholding of payments. 62.
(1)(
  1. a)Before authorizing payment, the Accountant General may verify that the safeguards in regulation 61 have been complied with, and if it appears to him that any payment voucher is drawn up for a service not included in the estimates or that it is in excess of the authorized provision for the service, or that it is in any way inaccurate or incorrect, he shall withhold payment and return the voucher to the department concerned. (
  2. b)The selection of payments for verification purposes shall be at the discretion of the Accountant General who shall also reserve the right to conduct verifications as and when required, without prior notice to accounting officers.
(2)During the verification process, authorized public officers duly delegated by the Accountant General, may conduct on the spot verifications of payments being processed and other payments already processed and paid. These authorized officers shall have a right of access at all times to the department’s accounting records, accounts and vouchers and shall be entitled to request from the accounting officers such information as they think necessary for the performance of their duties. The information may also be transmitted in either hard or soft copy as deemed suitable by the delegated officer.
(3)It shall be the duty of every officer assigned to conduct verifications, to immediately disclose to the Accountant General, any form of conflict of interest he may have in any verification, whether such conflict is direct or indirect, and refrain completely from involving himself in that particular case.
(4)If it appears at any stage during the conduct of the verification that the payment is unauthorized, the accounting officer concerned shall be held responsible to recoup funds. In such an event, the Accountant General shall report to Government of this finding. Separate vouchers for separate sub-heads. 63. Separate vouchers shall, as far as possible, be used for separate sub-heads and for the payment of different services, especially in cases where each service has been separately authorised. Reimbursement of expenses to public officers. 64.
(1)Wherever public officers present claims in reimbursement of expenses incurred by them for the public service, sub-vouchers in the shape of actual receipts shall be produced.
(2)When sub-vouchers cannot be obtained the officer GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 15 shall certify that the charges have been incurred solely for the public service and actually paid by the officer in line with current regulations. 65.
(1)Payments shall in all circumstances be made only to the persons named in the vouchers or to their properly authorised representatives. Payees.
(2)Where the payee will be unable to sign in acknowledgement of receipt, he shall instead make his mark in the presence of a person, other than the paying officer, who shall be a witness to the identity of the payee and to the payment made to him and to that effect shall sign the receipt.
(3)When payment is made to persons other than those named on the voucher or paylists, the authority in virtue of which payment can be made to them shall be registered in the department and noted on the vouchers. 66.
(1)Save as otherwise provided, payment of salaries shall be made either by crediting a bank account upon the instructions of the said employee, or in special circumstances, made by cheque or bank draft made payable to the employee entitled thereto. Payment of salaries.
(2)The cheques or bank drafts shall be signed by an officer not below the grade of Executive Officer delegated for the purpose by the Head of Department concerned and recognized by the Office of the Prime Minister as a proper officer for the purpose foresaid. If the circumstances so require, the cheque may be issued and delivered earlier than the date which it bears.
(3)Salaries may also be paid in such manner and subject to such conditions as the Minister may in writing authorise, and any such authority may be given either in respect of special cases or for special reasons, or in respect of classes of cases and may also be given generally.
(4)Nothing in this regulation shall be construed as affecting the observance of any judgment, decree or order of any court, relating to the payment of any salary. E. CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROL
  1. When the annual estimates have been finally approved and the moneys provided therein have been appropriated by law, the expenditure of the financial year shall be held to be definitely limited and arranged. Expenditure to be limited to approved estimates.
  2. The approved estimates shall form the basis of the accounts of the financial year to which they relate and the classification and subdivision of the revenue and expenditure must accord with the details of the estimates. Approved estimates to form basis of accounts of financial year. 16 [ S.L.601.01 Anticipated excesses. GENERAL FINANCIAL 69.
(1)It shall be the duty of all accounting officers to watch the progress of expenditure during the course of a financial year and to report at once, through the Minister responsible for their department, to the Minister whenever it appears to them that the voted provision will prove insufficient to meet the essential requirements for approved services up to the end of the financial year.
(2)The report shall contain full reasons for the anticipated excess as well as the valid circumstances which render necessary any additional provision. Restrictions on expenditure. 70. Except with the specific authority of the Minister no accounting officer may make any purchase, contract, agreement or arrangement involving expenditure from a head (
  1. a)in excess of the sum provided on the appropriate subhead; and (
  2. b)on any materials, works or services not included in the estimates. Reserved expenditure. 71. The Minister may direct that certain expenditure, although provided for in the estimates, may not be incurred without his specific or general approval. Accounting of expenditure. 72.
(1)Expenditure properly chargeable to the estimates of a financial year shall as far as possible be accounted for within that year.
(2)Payment for materials, works or services obtained during a financial year shall not be deferred or carried over to any subsequent year for the purpose of avoiding an excess on the approved provision for the service. No payment to be made before it falls due and no unexpended balance to be held in reserve. 73. Unless otherwise authorised in writing by the Minister, no payment for any materials, works or services shall be made before it falls due in order to utilise any existing balance prior to the end of a financial year nor may any unexpended balance of an existing provision be drawn upon for the purpose of holding money in reserve to meet impending liabilities or for passing it to a deposit or suspense account: Provided that the Minister may further authorise in writing that any funds appropriated in any financial year for any purpose be placed in a separate account which may be drawn upon, after the end of the financial year when such funds have been so appropriated, for the purposes for which the said funds have been originally appropriated; provided that any surplus remaining in any such account shall, upon the winding up of the said account, be transferred to the Consolidated Fund. GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 74.
(1)In accounting for the purchase or sale of securities the cost price or selling price thereof shall be entered under "Investments" or "Investments Realised" below-the-line, that is to say, following after and distinct from the entries relating to revenue and to expenditure charged against revenue. 17 Accounting for the purchase or sale of securities.
(2)Any profit or loss on sale as compared with the value at which the securities sold appear in the accounts shall be credited or debited as the case may be to the proper account to which securities belong, unless otherwise provided for in any law. 75.
(1)At the close of each financial year each of the securities held on public account or any other account shall be valued at the closing market price published on the stock exchange on which the security is listed on the last trading date of the financial year or the middle market price of the security published by a recognised market maker whichever is the latest. The value assigned to each security in the accounts shall be adjusted so as to correspond with that price. Valuation of securities at close of financial year.
(2)The amount by which the new value exceeds or falls short of the old value shall be carried to the credit or debit of the proper account to which the securities belong unless otherwise provided for in any law.
  1. When securities are transferred from one fund to another, they shall be so transferred at the closing market price published on the stock exchange on which the security is listed at the date of transfer. Transfer of securities from one fund to another.
  2. Any necessary expenditure on services of a confidential nature, the purpose and particulars of which cannot be made public, shall be supported in the accounts by a certificate of payment by the accounting officer concerned and by a declaration by the Minister that he has satisfied himself that the money has been properly expended. Expenditure on services of a confidential nature.
  3. Authority for the writing-off of any loss of public moneys shall be given by the Permanent Secretary or by such other officers as may be delegated by the Minister: Writing-off of losses of public moneys. Provided that (a) where the amount in any one case does not exceed ten thousand euro (€10,000), the write-off may also be authorised by the Permanent Secretary responsible for the Department concerned; (b) where the amount in any one case does not exceed two thousand and five hundred euro (€2,500) the writeoff may also be authorised by the Head of the Department concerned: 18 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL Provided further that, in all instances, all efforts have been made to recover any amounts due and recommendations for write-offs shall state what remedial action has been taken to avoid future recurrences. Heads of Department shall be responsible to ensure that no amounts of money due to Government become time-barred.
(2)No wholesale write-off of any one category of amounts due shall be allowed unless authorised by the Permanent Secretary.
(3)All write-offs shall be reported to the Permanent Secretary and copied to the Auditor General. Accounts of enterprise administered by a department. 79. Where any department administers any public or industrial enterprise the receipts and payments shall, except where otherwise expressly provided for, be accounted for to the Accountant General and included in his monthly and annual accounts. Recording of receipts and payments. 80.
(1)Every accounting officer who in the course of his duty is responsible for the receipt, custody and disbursement of public funds shall record all receipts and payments in the accounting system.
(2)If the accounting officer does not have access to the accounting system or another subsidiary accounting system, he shall keep a cash book in which all receipts and payments shall be promptly entered.
(3)Receipts and payments recorded in a cash book or another subsidiary accounting system shall also be transferred onto the accounting system on a daily basis.
(4)In addition to the provisions of sub-regulation
(1), the accounting system shall also be updated to record: (
  1. a)all revenue classified under the different items of revenue, showing the dates and amounts of the remittances to the Treasury; and (
  2. b)expenditure, where all payments made are recorded under the respective sub-head of expenditure as approved in the General Estimates. The expenditure records shall be kept in such a way as will clearly show under each sub-head: (
  3. i)the total amount of expenditure authorised for the materials, works and services during the year; (
  4. ii)the amount of expenditure charged; GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 19 (iii) the balance remaining available for expenditure at a given date; (
  5. c)Departments keeping a bank account shall at the close of each month draw up a statement to reconcile the balance of the bank account as it appears on the department’s books with the balance on the bank statement. The statement shall be kept at the Department and made available upon the Auditor General’s request. Such statement shall be accompanied where possible by the bank statement and where this is not practicable by the bank’s certificate showing the closing balance of the month. 81.
(1)As soon as possible after the close of each month the Accountant General shall send to accounting officers statements of the revenue and expenditure as well as statements of all below-the-line receipts and payments. It shall be the responsibility of accounting officers, before closing the accounts of their departments for any one month, to see that the figures in their books actually correspond with those on the said statements, and in the case of departments which operate a bank account, to ensure that the balance in their cash book agrees or is reconciled with the statement of account of the bank. Closing of accounts by accounting officers.
(2)Accounting officers shall within a week certify to the Treasury the correctness or otherwise of such statements. F. IMPREST 82. Accounting officers to whom an imprest is issued in terms of article 31 of the Act shall not make payments out of such imprest for materials, works and services other than those named on the relative warrant. Payments out of imprest. 83.
(1)A separate account shall be kept for each imprest, in which shall be entered, in order of date, all receipts and payments. Accounting of imprest.
(2)The account shall be balanced on the day on which the imprest has to be accounted for to the Treasury.
  1. All moneys drawn by imprest shall be accounted for to the Treasury on or before the end of the month in which they are issued unless the terms of the warrant require otherwise. Accounting of imprest to the Treasury. G. SPECIAL ADVANCES
  2. Whenever any disbursements as provided for in article 35 of the Act are made against repayment, there shall be opened a separate account to which shall be debited all the expenses chargeable to the account and to which all repayments shall be credited. Accounting of advances. 20 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL Lapse of authority under warrant.
  3. The authority for the issue of funds conveyed by the warrant under the hand of the Minister shall lapse by the end of the financial year to which it refers. Amount authorised by warrant not to be exceeded.
  4. The expenditure chargeable to any of the accounts referred to in regulation 85 shall in no case exceed the amount authorised by warrant and it shall be the duty of accounting officers to see that such accounts are repaid as early as possible in the manner specified in the warrant. Balancing of advance accounts.
  5. The said accounts shall be balanced at the end of each financial year and where an account is not fully repaid by that date the debit balance shall be carried forward to the ensuing financial year. H. CUSTODY OF PUBLIC MONEYS Names of certain officers to be given to Accountant General and to Auditor General.
  6. Heads of Departments shall inform the Accountant General and the Auditor General of the names of all officers entrusted with the receipt and custody of public moneys as well as of all officers charged with the control of accounts and departmental expenditure as may be directed by Accountant General. Certification of revenue collected.
  7. All statements or returns certifying to the accuracy of collections of revenue or other public moneys shall be signed by the Head of the Department concerned or by any other officer not below the grade of assistant principal whom the Head of the Department may delegate to sign on his behalf and whom the Accountant General will have recognised as the proper officer for the purpose. No public moneys in private accounts.
  8. Public moneys shall on no account be lodged in a private account in any bank. Strong rooms and safes for the custody of public moneys. 92.
(1)Strong rooms or safes shall be provided for the custody of public moneys in all offices where it is necessary to keep public moneys overnight.
(2)Strong rooms shall be securely locked with two or more different locks, held by two or more authorised officers, which officers shall be authorized by the Head of Department to have access. Cash holdings. 93. Officers authorised to operate on Government bank accounts or use strong rooms will keep in their immediate charge only such sums of money as may be necessary to meet current cash requirements. Disposal of cash received. 94.
(1)All cash received by public officers shall be deposited as soon as possible in the safe or strong room provided for the purpose, or paid into an authorised bank. The officer concerned GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 21 will he held personally responsible for any loss arising from negligence in this respect.
(2)No officer shall keep or allow to be kept on any Government safe or strong room under his charge any money except public moneys or such as by virtue of his office he is bound to receive and account for; nor may private moneys be included in any Government banking account.
  1. The main stock of stamps, both postage and revenue, shall be kept in the safe or strong room appointed for that purpose. Stock of stamps to be kept in safe or strong room.
  2. Boards of Survey, to be held after the close of business on the last business day of each financial year, or before the commencement of business on the first day of the new financial year, shall be appointed by the Prime Minister to examine the Treasury cash, bank balances and stamps. Boards of Survey. 97.
(1)Any cash shortage discovered shall be made good forthwith by the officer concerned. Cash shortages and amounts in excess.
(2)All amounts found in excess shall be kept temporarily in an Other Deposit Account for a period of three months pending verification of the accounts, after which, if no error is discovered justifying a refund, such amounts shall be passed to the Consolidated Fund. 98. There shall be kept within the Department a detailed record of cash discrepancies during each financial year. Record of cash discrepancies. 99.
(1)All cash discrepancies are to be investigated by the Head of Department concerned within one month from the date of occurrence. Investigation, refund, write off of cash discrepancies.
(2)Except in the case of any negligence, amounts up to two hundred and fifty euro (€250) may be authorised for refund or writeoff by the Head of Department. In all other instances, the authority for refund or write off shall be given by the Permanent Secretary responsible for the Department concerned: Provided that, in all cases, the recommendations shall indicate the circumstances leading to the loss of cash and the remedial action, as necessary, taken to avoid similar recurrences. 100.
(1)Heads of Department shall furnish to their Permanent Secretary six-monthly statements indicating, by category, the instances of departmental write-off of cash losses, specifying therein the remedial action taken.
(2)Heads of Department shall furnish to their Permanent Secretary, the Accountant General, and the Auditor General, with an annual statement of all cash losses occurring through theft, Detailed statements of cash losses. 22 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL fraud, or negligence, and of all departmental write offs authorised during that financial year. Stamps stock book.
  1. Officers who are required to hold a stock of stamps shall keep a stock book containing the number and value of stamps of each denomination received and issued together with the date of each transaction. J. STORES Stores.
  2. For the purposes of this Part, "stores" shall include supplies of a general character required for ordinary works and services carried out during the course of a financial year, goods or equipment which are deemed to be in excess, and goods beyond economic repair or beyond upgrading. Stocktaking by departments and reporting of deficiencies. 103.
(1)Heads of Department shall ensure by occasional stocktaking, and during the first month of the financial year in any case, that the balances of stores on charge are actually in stock, and shall furnish to their Permanent Secretary a report on each physical check of stores carried out, stating the date on which the stocktaking was held, the stores examined and the results obtained. Such report shall be copied to the Auditor General.
(2)Discrepancies between book balances and actual stock resulting from such stocktaking shall immediately be reported by the Head of Department to his Permanent Secretary. Items of value donated to Heads of Department. 104.
(1)Heads of Department in receipt of items of value by way of donation in their official capacity are to declare such donations in a report to their Permanent Secretary.
(2)Any such donations shall invariably be taken on charge in the store ledger or inventory list as the case may be. Verification of stock by National Audit Office. 105. All Government stores, except those for which special rules have been laid down by Government, may also be verified at least once a year by an officer of the National Audit Office. Condemnation of stores as unserviceable and writing-off thereof. 106.
(1)The condemnation as unserviceable and writingoff of stores, referred to in regulation 102, or other articles shall be sanctioned by the Permanent Secretary responsible for the department concerned on the report of a Board of Survey, which board shall not include any members of the staff of the Department concerned.
(2)Where, in the discretion of the Head of Department, the articles in question are of an original value not exceeding two thousand five hundred euro (€2,500), authority may be sought from his Permanent Secretary to dispense with a Board provided that the total value of articles to be dispensed of in one calendar year shall not exceed ten thousand euro (€10,000). GENERAL FINANCIAL [ S.L.601.01 107.
(1)Every officer having in his charge any stores shall keep a record of their receipt and disposal or consumption in a form acceptable to the Auditor General. 23 Record of receipt and disposal of stores.
(2)Departments authorised to keep a stock of unallocated stores shall keep a quantitative and value record of such stores. 108. Except where the Permanent Secretary responsible for the department concerned otherwise directs, surplus store items mentioned under regulation 102 shall be disposed of by the Director of Contracts following a public call for tenders issued by him: Disposal of stores by tender. Provided that: (
  1. a)such store-items which when grouped by category do not exceed the estimated value of forty-seven thousand euro (€47,000) per group may be disposed of departmentally as may be approved by the Permanent Secretary responsible for the department concerned following an auction or a departmental call for tender; (
  2. b)such store-items which when grouped by category as defined by the Accountant General do not exceed the estimated value of ten thousand euro (€10,000) per group may also be disposed of departmentally at the discretion of the Permanent Secretary responsible for the department concerned following the receipt of not less than three quotations from the open market, in the absence of which the Head of Department may dispose of the store items at any offer; (
  3. c)such store-items which when grouped by category do not exceed the estimated value of two thousand and five hundred euro (€2,500) per group may also be disposed of departmentally at the discretion of the Head of the Department concerned: Provided further that, in all instances, public officers shall not be allowed to quote or to tender for the acquisition of such store-items both in a direct or in an indirect manner. 109. Store or inventory items not required for Government purposes may be donated to institutions or organisations, against a formal receipt, following recommendations for that purpose by the Head of Department and as approved by the Permanent Secretary concerned: Provided that Heads of Department shall, at the end of each financial year, furnish the Permanent Secretary through their Permanent Secretary with a list of such donations showing the beneficiaries and confirming that their store and inventory records have been updated accordingly. Donations to institutes and organisations. 24 [ S.L.601.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL Loans to other departments. 110. Except with the authority of the Permanent Secretary concerned, or a delegate, store items shall not be issued by a Head of Department on loan other than to another Government Department or to a Government organisation. Writing-off of losses of stores. 111.
(1)Cases of losses or shortages of stores shall be investigated by a Board of Survey to be appointed by the Permanent Secretary responsible for the department concerned. Such Board, which shall not include any member of the staff of the department responsible for the stores, shall report on its findings and make recommendations thereon to the Permanent Secretary, who shall be authorised to act upon such recommendations.
(2)The Board of Survey may be dispensed with at the discretion of the Permanent Secretary where the Head of Department concerned certifies that there is no prima facie evidence of fraud or negligence, and that the value of any one item does not exceed two thousand five hundred euro (€2,500).
(3)In all instances, authority for the writing-off of losses or shortages of stores shall be vested in the Permanent Secretary: Provided that (
  1. a)stores with an estimated value not exceeding ten thousand euro (€10,000) may also be written-off by authority of the Permanent Secretary responsible for the department concerned; and (
  2. b)stores with an estimated value not exceeding two thousand and five hundred euro (€2,500) may also be written off by authority of the Head of Department concerned.

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AI explanation based on the official legal text. Indicative, not a substitute for legal advice.