The Auditor General, David Teika Dennis, is urgently calling on the Ministry of Public Service to enforce the Solomon Islands Government’s Attendance Management Policy following an audit that found ineffective implementation has resulted in the equivalent waste of nearly $1 billion in public resources between 2023 and 2025.
The findings are contained in a Performance Audit Report by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), which examined how the Attendance Management Policy has been implemented since it was approved by Cabinet in 2015. The report has been submitted to the National Parliament and is expected to be tabled by the Speaker during the next parliamentary sitting.
The audit, conducted by the OAG Performance Audit Team, analysed attendance data from three of the 31 government ministries and agencies that were able to provide sufficient records of policy implementation. The data covered the period from 2023 to 2025. The audit was conducted in 2025 and finalised in June this year.
The Attendance Management Policy was introduced to achieve and sustain a productive, healthy, efficient and high-performing public service by addressing absenteeism, which contributes to poor service delivery, reduced productivity and low staff morale.
The audit identified six major shortcomings in the policy’s implementation. These included the failure to install attendance monitoring devices in public offices, the absence of a clear rollout strategy, inadequate monitoring and evaluation, an estimated 25 per cent of payroll costs being lost to unauthorised absences, incomplete enforcement of the policy, and implementation practices that did not align with policy directives.
Auditor General Dennis said the findings highlight the urgent need for stronger oversight and enforcement of the Attendance Management Policy.
“This report highlights that the policy is not being taken seriously. When policies are passed, it must be communicated effectively to all whom it is meant to guide, along with clear roll out plans, against timeframes for ministries and agencies to roll out and achieve.
“The policy was passed by Cabinet in 2015 and at that time of the audit, last year, only two ministries and one government agency had taken steps to enforce it. I am urging the Ministry of Public Service to ensure the policy is being rolled out and implemented effectively, so that public funds are being spent wisely and on much needed services,” Mr Dennis said.
The Auditor General said effective implementation of the policy is essential to improving accountability, reducing absenteeism and ensuring public funds are used efficiently to deliver essential government services.
SOURCE;// Solomon Islands Office of the Auditor General Press Release
