At a legislative budget hearing held on Thursday, the Guam Department of Administration (DOA) proposed a $19.46 million budget appropriation, roughly 10% higher than last year. The increase covers rising costs for a health actuarial consultant, higher office lease payments, and a self-insurance fund estimated at $190 million.
DOA’s Chief of Finance, Teresa Rivers, said they’re prioritizing efficiency and transparency regarding financial oversight, such as modernizing how expenses are monitored, centralizing procurement, and cutting down manual work, like issuing micro-encoded tax checks.
Rivers said the department’s new financial system has cut vendor payables by about 90%. Of the $4 million owed, about $1 million is still overdue by more than 120 days.
She also included cleaning up nearly 5,000 general ledger accounts, delays caused by the GDOE audit, and stricter federal grant compliance rules. Because of these delays, the government’s FY24 audit will not be finished until November 2025.
Lawmakers expressed a desire for more efficient financial management as well, including better communication between agencies and improved transparency in government spending. Senator Chris Dueñas concluded the hearing by suggesting Director Birn invite other agency heads to testify and help improve the department’s performance.
