Report No. 20-01, Review of Special Funds, Revolving Funds, Trust Funds, and Trust Accounts of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

From Hawaii State Auditor, January, 2020

We reviewed 69 funds and accounts administered by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and reported on 38 of them. We found 6 revolving funds, 1 special fund, and 2 trust accounts did not meet criteria. We also noted that DBEDT did not file statutorily required reports for non-general funds and for administratively created funds….

Chapter 3 Observations on the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s Reporting and Accounting for Funds

As we reported in our Study of the Transfer of Non-General Funds to the General Fund, Report No. 12-04, special, revolving, and other types of non-general funds collectively represent about half of the State’s operating budget – moneys that are not subject to the same level of legislative scrutiny as the general fund. Accurate and complete reporting of all funds, as required by law, would greatly improve the Legislature’s oversight and control of these funds and provide increased budgetary flexibility. Fund reports are one of the primary means through which the Legislature tracks non-general funds. The reports are used to monitor fund balances and identify excess moneys for possible transfer to the general fund.

DBEDT Did Not Report Non-General Funds as Required by Law

Section 37-47, HRS, requires departments to submit to the Legislature an annual report of each non-general fund . …

Section 37-52.5, HRS, requires the Judiciary and any department that administratively establishes a new fund or account to submit a report to the Legislature. …

During our review of DBEDT’s non-general funds, we noted noncompliance with statutory requirements to report financial activity and balances, as required by Section 37-47, HRS, as well as fund information for administratively established funds and accounts under Section 37-52.5, HRS. As shown in Exhibit 3.1, DBEDT had non-general funds with balances totaling $5.75 million and administratively created non-general funds with balances totaling more than $750,000 that were not reported to the 2019 Legislature as required by Sections 37-47 and 37-52.5, HRS, respectively….

DBEDT had non-general funds with balances totaling $5.75 million and administratively created non-general funds with balances totaling more than $750,000 that were not reported to the 2019 Legislature as required by Sections 37-47 and 37-52.5, HRS, respectively….

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TGI: Audit finds $6M in unreported funds