51/2009
24 August 2009
The Rudd Government today released two reports on the administration of Commonwealth grants.
Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner said that the Rudd Government commissioned the Strategic Review of the Administration of Australian Government Grant Programs to identify how the effectiveness and efficiency of government grants programs could be improved.
"Under the previous Government the administration of Commonwealth grants was significantly debased,” Lindsay Tanner said.
"The expenditure on Commonwealth grants increased dramatically over the last decade while the quality of administration waned. This review is part of the Rudd Government’s agenda to restore transparency and accountability to not just the administration of Commonwealth grants but to public expenditure more broadly.”
The independent review provided the Government with a set of recommendations on how the administration of Commonwealth grants programs could be improved.
Lindsay Tanner said the implementation of the recommendations contained in the reports had already begun with new Commonwealth Grant Guidelines put in place on 1 July this year.
"This is the first time that there has been whole of Government rules and guidance for Ministers and officials on grants administration.
"Under these new guidelines approval will only be given to spending proposals that demonstrate efficient, effective and ethical use of Government resources and importantly, are in line with policies of the Commonwealth.”
Work on implementing the remainder of the review’s recommendations is continuing.
The reports are now are available online at: www.finance.gov.au/publications/strategic-reviews/grants.html
The Commonwealth Grants Guidelines that came into effect on 1 July 2009 are also available at: www.finance.gov.au/grants| Media Contact: | Website: |
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| Nardia Dazkiw - 0418 144 690 | www.financeminister.gov.au |
