SUNDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2017
SINGAPORE $0.70 CENTS / WEST MALAYSIA RM$2.10
MCI (P) 010/08/2017
PPS 201/04/2013 (022940)
Transparency in Church organisations stressed Parish priests, accountants, bookkeepers and administrative staff of parishes and archdiocesan organisations recently attended a workshop conducted by the Project Management Office (PMO) and the Archdiocesan Finance Office (AFO). The training on standard operating procedures was to highlight to participants the enhancements of existing policies and procedures, and the introduction of new processes that concern procurement, tenders and the reporting of breaches and fraud. In all, two workshops were conducted by the PMO and AFO. The first was on Oct 27 while the second was on Nov 4 for those who were unable to make it for the first round. Archbishop William Goh was present to welcome and reiterate to all the importance of transparency and governance in all parish and archdiocesan organisations on Oct 27. “I think it’s very important that for all of us who are here, we have to realise we are stewards of God’s money, of people’s money,” he said. “The money is not for ourselves, it is meant for the common good.” He emphasised that it was important for attendees to also share with the faithful that the archdiocese has in place stringent processes and accounting systems that can stand up to public scrutiny. The objective of the training was to assist parishes and organisations that are part of the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore (TRCAS) to prepare for requirements under a statutory audit introduced by the Commissioner of Charities. TRCAS includes all archdiocesan offices, parishes (including
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NO. 24
INSIDE HOME
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Round table discussion on mental health Societal stigma, workplace discrimination highlighted n Page 8
Serving people living with HIV/AIDS A volunteer shares his experiences n Page 10
ASIA Representatives of Church organisations at the Oct 27 workshop conducted by the Project Management Office and the Archdiocesan Finance Office. VITA Images
Two workshops were held on the enhancements of existing policies and procedures, and the introduction of new processes concerning procurement, tenders and the reporting of breaches and fraud. two rectories), and archdiocesan commissions and council offices. In preparation for this external statutory audit, current operating
Archbishop William Goh reiterated the importance of transparency.
policies and procedures within the archdiocese were reviewed and enhanced. After consultation with the
PMO, which was tasked to prepare the archdiocese for the external audit in 2017, new policies were formulated and introduced to enhance the Church’s internal processes. The key trainers for the workshops were Mr James Kho from the PMO, a volunteer and experienced finance professional who has held multiple senior management positions in the financial sector; and Ms Sharon Lim, project manager in the PMO and staff member of the AFO. The new and enhanced policies and procedures were explained and discussed at the presentations. A panel of representatives from the PMO and AFO also addressed questions raised at the workshops. n
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WORLD
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FAITH ALIVE!
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