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BEAUFORT PRIMARY SCHOOL Phone: 03 5349 2490Fax: 03 5349 2128E-mail: [email protected]
2/37 Park Road P.O. Box 18, Beaufort
Respect Responsibility Safety
PURCHASING CARD POLICYRATIONALE:Purchase Cards should support existing financial policies to facilitate the effective running of the school and the acquisition of required resources. School Council may authorise school based staff to be issued with a purchase card to purchase goods, services, equipment or materials using this card. This card will be a Visa card issued by the Westpac Banking Corporation. SCOPEThis policy applies to Beaufort Primary School school councillors and to any staff who have a role within the Purchasing Card Program as an authoriser, administrator or cardholder.AIMTo utilise the benefits of a Purchase Card whilst ensuring the schools procedures and financial internal controls meet the Department of Education and Training requirements in accordance with Section 14A of the Education Act 1958 Ministerial Guidelines and Directions 1-6 of 2005.Using the Purchasing Card will improve availability of resources and increased flexibility.
IMPLEMENTATION
The current government contract is for a VISA Corporate Card issued by the Westpac Bank.Beaufort Primary School will ensure the following are present:
o adequate internal controls and security measureso a cardholder registero locally determined credit limitso school council reporting procedures to implement and monitor the operation of the school purchasing card facility.
School councilThe Principal and Business Manager are required to attend a Purchasing Card Briefing. Briefings can be organised by contacting the School Finance Liaison Officer (SFLO) or emailing [email protected] Primary School school council will approve the implementation of a Purchasing Card Program, with appropriate card limits. These approvals will be formally minuted.School council is responsible for monitoring of spending to ensure that the purchasing cards are being used in accordance with the Expenditure Management guidelines set out in Section 11 of the Finance Manual for Victorian Government Schools.
Authorisation officerBeaufort Primary School’s principal will be the authorisation officer. Where the Principal is the cardholder, the school council president must be the authorisation officer for that card.As the authorisation officer, the principal/school council president is responsible for:
briefing cardholders and ensuring they complete an Undertaking by Cardholder form approving expenditure monitoring transactions, statements and reports
The Authorisation Officer must ensure all processes and procedures comply with Department requirements and this policy.The Authorisation Officer will terminate or deactivate cards when no longer needed.
Card holder
BEAUFORT PRIMARY SCHOOL
Respect Responsibility Safety
Each cardholder must complete an Undertaking by Cardholder form agreeing to conditions and limits before a card may be ordered.Cardholders must be Department employees who have been approved by the school council.The card must never be used for payment of personal expenses of any nature or to withdraw a cash advance.Cardholders must not allow any unauthorised persons to use the Purchasing Card.The Cardholder will be held personally liable for any unauthorised use of the Purchasing Card, unless the unauthorised use is the result of the Purchasing Card being lost or stolen, or the result of fraud on the part of a third party.Lost or damaged cards are to be immediately reported to Westpac and the appropriate Authorisation Officer.The Cardholder is responsible for providing all receipts, to reconcile a monthly statement.
In-school ProcessesAll normal internal controls for use of a purchasing card will be followed with appropriate documentation completed, checked and authorised by approving officers as per Department of Education and Early Childhood Development guidelines. Cards to be kept safe by Cardholders, or stored in the school safe, when not in use. Lost cards are to be immediately reported to the school Business Manager who will notify the Westpac Bank on behalf of the relevant Cardholder. Where the Business Manager cannot be contacted, the Cardholder should report the lost card to Westpac Bank IMMEDIATELY. Purchasing cards may be used for online purchasing subject to the usual internal control requirements.All cardholders will be required to raise a school purchase order to the individual supplier and have this approved prior to use of purchasing card. Purchase cards may only be used for approved purchases. This includes online purchasing. Receipts, after purchase, should be signed and forwarded as per current internal controls. EFTPOS receipts are not deemed to be sufficient evidence of goods purchased. Tenders/Quotes must still be obtained in line with existing internal control. In line with recommendation on page 004 of the guidelines and procedures, duties such as monitoring transactions, statements and reports and approving expenditure could be carried out as currently i.e.: Reconciliations and supporting documentation overseen and checked against statement of activity by Business Manager with final authority to Principal – would suggest that once reports are reconciled they are signed off by Principal. The Principal holds final authority and is responsible for all transactions and to ensure that audit details are maintained.
REVIEW CYCLE This policy was last reviewed and approved by school council on [insert date] and is scheduled for evaluation and review in February, 2018
