Are authentication and consular revenues stuck in our responsibility centers?

Episode No. (8)

●       The State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) conducted an audit of the revenues from authentication fees and consular revenues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, according to compliance audit rules. The report revealed shortcomings in the management of these revenues during 2023, where the SAACB, through its audit of the revenues from authentication fees and consular revenues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for 2023, revealed a clear administrative and oversight shortcoming, listing a number of material observations, most notably:

1-    The absence of a study to determine the actual need for stamps, and the storage of quantities unfit for use in a Ministry of Finance warehouse!

2-     The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not prepare a procedures manual that clarifies the mechanism to be followed during the authentication process, which is currently carried out randomly..!

3-    The absence of organized transaction records, where the use of an "Excel" program is relied upon instead of a specialized electronic system, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lacks a comprehensive register (paper or electronic), documenting all transactions for recording stamps and the receipt books issued to the offices that were authenticated and completed!

4-    Failure to follow up on collections from embassies abroad, as it was observed that some embassies failed to transfer collected revenues from authentication fees collected abroad to the Ministry of Finance!, noting that the Ministry does not have approved data for auditing purposes!.

5-    Weak follow-up and lack of coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Palestinian National Fund regarding authentications and the revenues collected abroad, noting that the data obtained only concern revenues collected inside the homeland.!

6-    Shortcomings of the internal control unit, as the internal control unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not audit the authentication transactions carried out in the ministry's Authentication Department.

●      Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates must address all the observations and deficiencies contained in the SAACB report seriously and credibly, including providing the required comprehensive records, preparing a procedures manual from the ministry that clarifies the mechanism to be followed in authentications, following up on external collection receipts and ensuring their execution transparently and their remittance to the Ministry of Finance at home.. in addition to activating the internal control unit.. including the accountability and liability system ... in accordance with rules and regulations!