Purchase Cards

In reply to Mr PISONI (Unley) (3 November 2016).

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills): I have been advised:

For the 2015-16 financial year, one card holder was identified by the Auditor-General as undertaking the inappropriate practice of splitting a single transaction into smaller payment to circumvent the pre-set transaction limit. In addition, internal reviews revealed that an additional four transactions from two cardholders were also split into smaller transaction amounts below the cardholders transaction limit.

The detail surrounding the one transaction identified by the Auditor-General is as follows:

1. $3,200 that related to a deposit for Early Childhood Leader/Principal Consultant Conference 18-20 May 2016, split into 2 payments of $2,000 and $1,200 respectively.

The detail surrounding the additional four transactions from two cardholders is as follows:

2. $1,055 that related to the purchase of attendance to the 2015 Australian Curriculum Studies Association (ACSA) conference, was split into two payments of $527.50

3. $1,055 that related to the purchase of attendance to the 2015 Australian Curriculum Studies Association (ACSA) conference, was split into two payments of $527.50

4. $1,055 that related to the purchase of attendance to the 2015 Australian Curriculum Studies Association (ACSA) conference, was split into two payments of $527.50

5. $2,805 (partial payment of $11,266.75 invoice) that related to the part-payment for 'supervisor training' invoice, split into payments of $1,000, one payment of $305 and one payment of $500 (totalling $2,805).

In each instance of non-compliance the cardholders were counselled and directed to comply with the Purchase Card Policy.