GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 174.01
GENERAL FINANCIAL REGULATIONS
19th July, 1966
LEGAL NOTICE 40 of 1966, as amended by Legal Notices 12 of 1970,
24 of 1971, 6 and 61 of 1972, 81 and 83 of 1973, 91 and 121 of 1975, 34
and 82 of 1979, 1 of 1980, 70 of 1981, 41 of 1982, 55 of 1983, 30 of 1985,
19 of 1989, 70 of 1996, 254 of 1998, 83 and 173 of 1999, and 27 of 2000.
Title .
Regulations.
Interpretation.
Amended by:
L.N. 6 of 1972;
L.N. 41 of 1982;
L.N. 55 of 1983.
Cap. 174.
2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise
requires-
"the Act" means the Financial Administration and Audit Act;
"authorised bank" means any bank which for the time being is
entrusted with the keeping of public moneys as defined in the Act;
"below-the-line account" means those special funds and
accounts, deposits and advances the receipts and payments in
respect whereof are not credited or debited to the Consolidated
Fund;
"Secretary" means the Secretary to the Ministry responsible for
finance;
"accounting officer", "financial year", "Minister", "public
moneys" and "revenue" have the same meaning as is assigned to
them in article 2 of the Act.
A. ACCOUNTING OFFICERS
Accountant 
General.
3. The Accountant General shall be the chief accounting
officer of the Government and subject to these regulations and to
such instructions as may, with the authority of the Minister, be
issued by the Secretary, the accounting operations of the
Government are under his general management and supervision. It
shall be nevertheless the duty of all accounting officers to ensure
that these regulations are duly observed.
Duties of 
Accountant 
General.
4. It shall be the duty of the Accountant General in his
capacity as chief accounting officer -
(i) to see that the proper system of account is
established in every department and to ensure
that instructions are issued accordingly;
(ii) to exercise supervision over the receipts of
public revenue and as far as possible to secure
its punctual collection;
(iii) to bring promptly to account, under the proper
heads and sub-heads, all moneys, whether
revenue or other receipts, paid into the Treasury
or accounted for to him;
(iv) to ensure that proper provision is made far the
2 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
safe keeping of all public moneys, stamps,
entertainment duty tickets, securities and
valuable documents;
(v) to exercise supervision over all the officers of
his department entrusted with the receipt or
expenditure of public moneys, and over the
accounting officers, and to take precautions, by
the maintenance of efficient checks, including
surprise inspections, against the occurrence of
fraud, embezzlement or negligence;
(vi) to supervise the expenditure and other
disbursements of the Government; to take care
that no payment is made which is not covered by
proper authority, expressed or referred to on the
voucher relating to it; and, in case of any
apparent extravagance or of any apparent defect
in the provision for a charge owing to the
exhaustion or absence of a vote, to call the
attention of Government in writing to the matter;
(vii) promptly to charge in his accounts under the
proper heads and items ail disbursements of the
Government, whether expenditure or other
payments;
(viii) to render the accounts for audit and to prepare
the financial statements and returns.
Irregularities in 
public accounts.
5. The Accountant General shall report to Government any
material irregularity connected with the public accounts that may
be brought to his notice.
Responsibilities of 
accounting 
officers.
6. (1) All accounting officers shall be personally responsible
for the due performance of the financial duties of their departments
or officers, for the proper collection and custody of all public
moneys receivable by them and for the accuracy of the accounts
rendered by them or under their authority.
(2) No officer will be relieved of any part of his
responsibilities should he depute to his subordinates the
performance of duties which he should have performed himself.
(3) The responsibility of the Auditor General for checking and
reporting any shortcomings in connection with the public accounts
or finances shall not absolve any officer from his responsibility for
complying, or securing compliance, with instructions within the
scope of his own authority.
B. THE ESTIMATES
Secretary. 7. The Secretary shall be the chief financial adviser of the
Government and is responsible for the preparation of the annual
estimates of revenue and expenditure.
Submission of 
estimates by Heads 
of Departments.
8. The estimates of revenue and the estimates of expenditure
of each department shall be prepared by the respective head of
department and forwarded through the Minister responsible for his
department to the Secretary together with any information that may
be required.
GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 3
Division and 
subdivisions of 
estimates.
9. The estimates shall be divided into such heads and sub-
heads and items as the Minister may direct. They shall show against
each item of revenue and expenditure the amount estimated for the
coming financial year, the amount of the approved estimate of the
current financial year and the actual revenue and expenditure of the
last completed financial year.
Expenditure 
provided by special 
law.
10. (1) Where the expenditure of a department is provided
partly by annual votes and partly by special law, the amount
provided by law shall be suitably indicated so that the estimates
will show under each head every item which is expected to come in
course of payment during the year of estimate, including not only
those which are submitted to the House of Representatives for
discussion and appropriation but also those which, being already
provided, are included in the estimates for information only.
(2) The law authorising the provided expenditure shall be
named in each case.
Abstracts of 
revenue and of 
expenditure.
11. The estimates of revenue and the estimates of expenditure
shall be preceded by abstracts showing the totals of all heads in the
estimates. The abstracts shall show in separate columns -
( a ) the actual revenue and expenditure of the last complete
financial year;
( b ) the approved estimates for the current financial year;
( c ) the revised estimates for the current financial year; and
( d ) the estimated revenue and expenditure for the next
following financial year.
Estimates of 
revenue to include 
gross receipts.
12. The estimates of revenue shall include the gross receipts of
Government, except repayments of advances, proceeds of loans
appropriated by law for special works, receipts from sales of
investments, deposits and remittances. They shall include all fees,
dues, fines and rents payable into the Treasury.
Heads of revenue.
It falls generally into four broad classes:
(i) duties, taxes, licences, fees and other similar
receipts;
(ii) receipts for, or in aid of, specific Government
services;
(iii) receipts on account of undertakings of a
commercial character; and
(iv) revenue from Government property such as land,
houses and investments.
Subdivision of 
heads of revenue.
14. The said classes may be subdivided into several heads. No
head, however, shall comprise items coming under different classes
and revenue derived from taxation should be easily distinguishable
from revenue not so derived.
Estimates of 
expenditure to be 
as accurate as 
possible.
15. The estimates of expenditure shall be framed so as to show
as nearly as possible the amounts which it is expected will actually
be spent during the financial year. Every head of expenditure shall
include, as far as possible, all the items relating to that particular
service so as to show clearly the total estimated cost of that service
4 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
during the financial year.
Departmental 
estimates not to 
include 
unauthorized 
provisions.
16. Each head of department shall ensure that all services that
can be reasonably foreseen are included in his departmental
estimate and that no unauthorized provision is inserted therein.
Subdivision of 
estimates of 
expenditure.
Amended by:
L.N. 55 of 1983.
17. The estimates of expenditure shall be subdivided under the
headings "personal emoluments", "operational and maintenance
expenses" and ''special expenditure".
Personal 
emoluments.
Amended by:
L.N. 55 of 1983.
18. (1) Under "personal emoluments" there shall appear the
basic salaries of public officers, all allowances such as personal,
duty, entertainment, acting, expatriation and house allowances,
allowances in lieu of quarters, fuel and light, clothing allowances
paid in cash, fees, percentages or commissions, and national
insurance contributions payable by Government as employer.
(2) Travelling and transport allowances being granted in
consideration of expenditure on the public service are not to be
included as items of personal emoluments.
(3) Pensionable emoluments shall be distinguished from those
not pensionable by an asterisk or other indication.
Emoluments to be 
included.
19. (1) Where an officer receives emoluments under more
than one head the fact will be indicated by cross references or
explanatory footnotes.
(2) Any pension or compensation allowance or other
emoluments in respect of public service, including the provision of
an official residence, shall be also shown.
Operational and 
maintenance 
expenses.
Amended by:
L.N. 55 of 1983.
20. Under "operational and maintenance expenses" there shall
be included all services of a recurrent nature other than personal
emoluments which can be properly apportioned to the particular
department.
Special 
expenditure.
21. Under "special expenditure" there shall be included items
of a non-recurrent nature.
Incidental 
expenses.
22. (1) The total personal emoluments of each department will
make up one sub-head and small items under "operational and
maintenance expenses" not of a distinctive character may be
grouped under a sub-head of "incidental expenses". Items not so
grouped shall be shown as separate sub-heads.
(2) No provision shall be made for "unforeseen expenditure".
Miscellaneous 
head.
23. No items of receipt or expenditure shall be included under
the head "miscellaneous" which can appropriately be placed under
any other head, and, if necessary, new sub-heads shall be opened
for any such items.
New heads and 
sub-heads.
24. New heads or sub-heads shall be opened for items of
receipt or expenditure not properly falling within any of those
already appearing in the estimates.
Proposals for new 
works or services 
or additional 
personnel.
25. All proposals for new works or services or additional
personnel for which it is desired to make provision in the estimates
shall be forwarded in advance of estimates by heads of departments
GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 5
to the Secretary through the Minister responsible for their
department.
Full information 
and accurate 
estimate to 
accompany 
proposals.
Provision of funds 
in excess of 
estimate.
26. (1) No proposal shall be advanced without full
information on its financial aspects and as accurate an estimate as
possible of the funds likely to be required. 
(2) The provision of funds in excess of those estimated for
may be refused unless it can be shown that the causes of the excess
were beyond the knowledge or control of the department and that
there was no negligence in the preparation of the original estimates.
Explanations to 
accompany 
estimates.
27. The estimates shall be accompanied by explanations
respecting every item of an unusual nature therein comprised and
of any important difference under each item between the proposed
expenditure or anticipated revenue and the approved estimates for
the preceding year, as shown in the parallel columns.
Capital 
expenditure.
28. Estimates for works and services of a capital nature shall
be drawn up in accordance with such instructions as may be issued
from time to time by the Minister.
Statement of assets 
and liabilities and 
statement of the 
estimated financial 
position.
29. The estimates shall be accompanied by a statement of the
assets and liabilities of the Government at the close of the last
completed financial year, and a statement showing the estimated
financial position of the Government at the beginning of the
financial year to which the estimates relate.
Revised estimates 
of expenditure.
30. (1) The Secretary may as and when required during the
financial year call upon heads of departments to submit forecasts of
the total estimated expenditure to be brought to charge during the
financial year under the heads of expenditure under thrir control.
(2) Such forecasts shall show for each sub-head of the
estimates the amount provided, the anticipated expenditure, and
any variations from the amount provided, together with an
explanation for such variations and with references to any
authorities which may have been obtained therefor.
Excesses.
does not of itself constitute any authority for incurring it.
(2) Such authority shall be in each case applied for separately
and full reasons shall be given justifying the excess expenditure.
Revised estimates 
of revenue.
32. Forecasts of revenue, on the same lines as those for
expenditure, may be asked for by the Secretary as and when
required during the course of the financial year.
C. RECEIPTS
Receipt entries in 
the accounts.
33. All receipt entries in the accounts shall be vouched for on
the form prescribed by or under any law or regulation.
Receipts and 
receipt books.
Amended by:
L.N. 34 of 1979;
L.N. 27 of 2000.
34. (1) Except where otherwise provided and in cases where
receipts are not required (such as sale of stamps) or thge Minister
has otherwise directed accounting officers must give receipts from
books of forms bearing printed consecutive numbers, for every sum
paid them.
(2) The supply and custody of receipts shall be effected as
directed by the Accountant General.
6 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
(3) Cancelled receipt forms shall be attached to their
duplicates.
Licences and 
permits.
35. All licences and permits for which payments are made
shall be issued from counterfoil books printed with consecutive
numbers.
Remittance to 
authorised bank or 
to Treasury.
Substituted by:
L.N. 24 of 1971.
36. Unless otherwise authorised by the Secretary, every
accounting officer, other than the Accountant General, shall pay
daily into an authorised bank or into the Treasury any sum of thirty
liri or upwards that may come into his hand and whenever the
aggregate amount of the collection in his hands reaches thirty liri it
shall be so paid on the same day:
Provided that all collections, however small the amount,
shall be paid into an authorised bank or the Treasury every Friday
and on the last working day of the month.
Schedules or 
abstracts of 
revenue.
37. Payments to the Treasury by collectors of revenue will be
supported in each case by such detailed schedules or abstracts as
the Accountant General may direct.
Receipt of public 
money by an 
officer who is not a 
regular collector of 
revenue.
38. Whenever a public officer, not being a regular collector of
revenue, comes into receipt of public money, he shall pay it to the
Accountant General or to the accounting officer of his department
without delay, obtaining a receipt for the amount so paid in.
Accounting of 
revenue to the 
Treasury.
39. In all cases the gross amounts received shall be paid into or
accounted for to the Treasury.
Use of public 
money.
40. Between the time of receipt and the time of payment into
an authorised bank or the Treasury, or to an accounting officer, no
public money shall be made use of in any way whatsoever; nor
shall any officer advance or lend any sum for which he is
answerable to the Government.
Loss of revenue by 
neglect or fault of 
officer.
41. If at any time the public revenue sustains a loss by reason
of the neglect or fault of any officer, he will be liable to be
surcharged charged with the amount.
Payments by 
cheque.
42. (1) Cheques may be accepted in payment of amounts due
subject to the following provisions:
( a ) cheques drawn on persons or institutions abroad may
only be accepted with the prior authority of the head of
department;
( b ) no post-dated cheques may be accepted;
( c ) cheques tendered in payment of customs, import,
export or excise duties shall not be accepted unless
they are endorsed "accepted for payment" by the bank
on which they are drawn or unless they are in respect
of amounts which are secured by a bank guarantee.
(2) Accounting officers shall forward daily to the authorised
bank indicated for such purpose by the Accountant General any
cheques received by them during the course of the day.
(3) The said cheques, if drawn on the authorized bank into
which they are paid, shall be endorsed "Credit the Public Account",
or, if drawn on any other bank, they shall be endorsed so as to be
GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 7
payable, for credit of the Public Account, to the authorised bank to
which they are forwarded.
Statement by 
accounting officers 
of revenue 
collected.
43. (1) All accounting officers shall forward to the
Accountant General every Friday and on the last working day of
each month, as well as on such days as the Accountant General may
indicate, a statement accompanied by bank receipts showing the
total revenue collected during the period subsequent to the last
weekly statement and the classification of such revenue under the
proper heads and items.
(2) Where no revenue has been collected a "Nil" return shall be
sent to the Accountant General.
Moneys received 
in deposit or trust.
44. A weekly statement of moneys received in deposit or trust
shall likewise be sent to the Accountant General.
Explanation for 
omission of weekly 
statement.
45. Where no weekly statement is sent to the Accountant
General on the appropriate days in time for inclusion in the cash
account a satisfactory explanation shall be furnished by the head of
department giving the reason for the omission.
Revenue not to be 
allowed to fall into 
arrear.
46. (1) The Accountant General shall report to the Minister
any failure on the part of an accounting officer to receive and duly
account for any sums receivable by him.
(2) The Accountant General shall also report to the Minister
any case in which he may have reason to think that the revenue is
falling unduly into arrear.
(3) Heads of departments shall similarly report in like
circumstances to the Accountant General forwarding a copy of the
report to the Auditor General.
Recovery of 
over-payments.
Accounting.
47. Receipts of public moneys by way of recovery of
overpayments, shall be accounted for as under, namely:
( a ) receipts in respect of overpayments from the
Consolidated Fund shall be credited -
(i) to the sub-head of Revenue in those cases where
an  ad hoc  sub-head is shown in the estimates;
(ii) in other cases:
(1) to the head and sub-head of expenditure to
which the overpayment was debited, if
incurred from ordinary expenditure and
recovered during the same financial year of
overpayment;
(2) to Revenue under the head for
miscellaneous receipts if made from
ordinary expenditure in any financial year
previous to that of recovery;
(3) in such manner as the Accountant General
directs, if made from capital expenditure in
any financial year;
( b ) receipts in respect of overpayments from any fund or
from any below-the-line account made in any financial
year shall be credited to the relative fund or
below-the-line account, as the case may be.
8 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
Refunds of 
revenue.
48. Except in the case of customs and excise drawbacks,
re-payment of duty over-entered, and repayments of tax collected
under succession and donation duties and income tax laws, and
except where the Minister otherwise directs, all refunds of revenue
require the prior approval of the Secretary before payment is made.
Returns of arrears 
of revenue and of 
abandoned claims.
Amended by:
L.N. 1 of 1980.
49. (1) All officers charged with the supervision of the
collection or other moneys due to the Government shall furnish to
the Accountant General for transmission to the Auditor General
annual returns in duplicate showing the state of the arrears in the
collection of such sums, together with reasons for non-collection.
(2) Returns of arrears of revenue or abandoned claims shall be
submitted as early as possible and in any case not later than the 31st
March in each year and shall include all amounts due for collection
on 31st December but remaining unpaid up to the end of the
following January.
(3) In the event of there being no such arrears, a "Nil" return
shall be furnished.
D. PAYMENTS
Disbursements of 
public moneys.
Amended by:
L.N. 81 of 1973;
L.N. 41 of 1982.
50. (1) All disbursements of public moneys, be those held in
Malta or abroad, shall be made under authority from the Minister
by the Accountant General, who is the only officer authorised to
make withdrawals from the public or other accounts opened in
terms of article 15 of the Act.
(2) Disbursements in the United Kingdom shall be made
through the Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and
Administrations for the time being or through such other
intermediary as the Minister may appoint.
(3) Payments in any other country shall be made through
Crown Agents or through any bank or other agency as the
Accountant General may deem appropriate at the time.
(4) Orders for payments from accounts mentioned in
subregulation (1) shall be signed by the Accountant General, or on
his behalf by the Assistant Accountant General, or by any officer
doing duty at the Treasury not below the grade of Administrative
Officer whom the Accountant General may delegate for the
purpose:
Provided that, in the case of the Malta Government Savings
Bank, payments by draft shall be signed by an officer not below the
grade of administrative assistant and by another officer not below
the grade of executive officer, subject to such officers being
delegated in writing by the Accountant General as proper officers
for the said purpose.
(5) The said orders shall also in each case be signed by the
officer who for the time being shall be doing duty as cashier or
assistant cashier at the Treasury.
(6) Orders for payment from accounts kept with the Crown
Agents or with such other person or persons as may have been
appointed as aforesaid shall be signed by the Accountant General,
the Assistant Accountant General or by any administrative officer
GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 9
doing duty at the Treasury whom the Accountant General may
delegate to sign such orders on his behalf.
Warrant of 
expenditure.
51. The warrant referred to in article 27(2) of the Act shall be
prepared by the Secretary. 
Payment on 
vouchers.
Amended by:
L.N. 41 of 1982.
52. (1) Every claim for the payment of public moneys shall be
put into a voucher in such form as the Accountant General may
direct, and shall be charged against the proper head and sub-head or
account and certified by the head of the department concerned or
by any other officer not below the grade of administrative assistant
whom that head of department may delegate to sign on his behalf
and whom the Accountant General will have recognized as the
proper officer for the purpose.
(2) All vouchers shall contain full particulars of each service,
such as dates, numbers, quantities, distances and rates, so as to
enable them to be checked without reference to any other
document, and shall be accompanied by the relative invoices,
sub-vouchers, bills, certificates and any other justifying documents.
(3) On signing a voucher, the officer concerned shall certify to
the accuracy of every detail in the voucher. He shall be held
responsible that the services specified have been duly performed,
that the prices charged are either according to contract or approved
rates, or fair and reasonable according to current local rates, that
authority has been obtained as quoted, that computations and
castings have been verified and are arithmetically correct, that the
persons named in the vouchers are those entitled to receive
payment, that stores purchased have been duly taken on charge,
that the head and sub-head of the estimates quoted can bear the
charge, and that the articles or services specified have been
purchased or assigned in accordance with current regulations.
(4) When supplies are furnished or work done under agreement
or contract, there shall be attached to the voucher a certificate that
the payments are in accordance with the terms of the contract
agreement, that, as regards supplies, the articles have been
received, and, in the case of work, that it has been properly carried
out. 
(5) In the case of payment on account no more shall be
claimed than the cost of the work certified to have been performed.
(6) When a deduction is made from the amount payable on a
contract in respect of a penalty or fine the net sum only shall be
paid.
Unauthorised 
payments.
53. In the event of an unauthorised payment being made in
consequence of any incorrect certificate on a voucher, the officer
who signed the certificate shall be held responsible and the amount
may be surcharged against him.
Payments by one 
department for 
another.
54. (1) Payments made by one department on behalf of
another department shall be claimed as soon as possible by the
former department from the latter.
(2) Such claims must be accompanied by the original
vouchers.
10 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
How payments are 
to be made.
Amended by:
L.N. 12 of 1970;
L.N. 95 of 1975.
55. (1) Except where otherwise authorised, all payments shall
be made through the Treasury.
(2) Unless the Accountant General deems it fit to make any
other arrangements, vouchers for payment through the Treasury
shall be presented complete in all respects and accompanied by a
signed abstract at the Treasury by the 20th of each month.
(3) Payments up to fifteen liri may be made by departments
direct.
(4) In the case of departments which are authorised in terms of
article 13 of the Act to keep a bank account in their own names,
payments over fifteen liri shall be made by draft through that
account. Such draft shall be signed by the head of department
concerned or by an officer not below the grade of administrative
officer delegated for that purpose by him and by another officer not
below the grade of executive officer, subject to both such officers
being recognised by the Accountant General as proper officers for
the said purpose.
(5) The Minister may exempt any embassy, consular or other
office of Malta abroad from compliance with the provision of the
last preceding subregulation, if he is satisfied that the
circumstances of the place where the embassy, consular or other
office is situate are such as to render that compliance extremely
difficult or impossible.
(6) This regulation shall not apply to the payment of wages
and salaries.
Paylists and 
vouchers.
56. (1) In the case of salaries and wages paid on a monthly or
fortnightly basis, the relative paylists or vouchers shall be prepared
by the Treasury from information furnished by departments in
accordance with instructions issued by the Accountant General.
(2) Actual payments shall be made by departments.
(3) The Accountant General shall be responsible for the
correctness of computations of salaries according to approved rates
and regulations, for the proper deductions from salaries on account
of contributions or other liabilities and shall certify each paylist or
voucher accordingly.
(4) The head of department concerned shall be responsible for
the correctness of all the information that he may be required to
furnish to the Accountant General for the purpose of computations
of salaries and for all additions and deductions. He shall certify on
the paylist or voucher that the salaries, wages, increments and
allowances for the period stated therein are due for services
rendered by the persons named, that funds are available and that the
incidence of charge is correct.
Payments in cash. 57. (1) In order to make payments in cash accounting officers
shall draw on the Treasury by means of a schedule which shall be
presented at the Treasury at least three clear days before the day on
which the cash is required. Such schedule shall be accompanied by
an abstract of the vouchers in duplicate and by the relevant
vouchers. The schedule, the abstract and the vouchers must be duly
signed and complete in all respects.
GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 11
(2) The schedule and one copy of the abstract shall be retained
at the Treasury and the vouchers and a copy of the abstract shall be
returned to the department concerned together with the draft for the
amount asked for.
(3) The procedure outlined in subregulations (1) and (2) shall
also be followed by accounting officers authorised to keep separate
bank accounts and in the case of payments up to fifteen liri made
direct by departments.
Payments by draft.
account by draft, the number of the draft is to be invariably inserted
on the relative voucher and when the drafts are returned paid by the
bank they shall be attached to the relative vouchers.
(2) The said vouchers with the drafts attached thereto shall be
returned to the Treasury as soon as possible after the paid drafts are
returned by the bank but in any case not later than three months
from the date on which the money was withdrawn from the
Treasury.
Unpresented 
drafts.
Amended by:
L.N. 173 of 1999.
59. (1) When drafts remain unpresented after the lapse of six
months, the department concerned shall remit the relative amount
to the Public Account to the credit of an Other Deposit Account
"Drafts Unpaid" and the relative vouchers with an appropriate note
shall be returned to the Treasury together with those in respect of
which the drafts have been paid. A copy of the relative abstract
shall also accompany the vouchers.
(2) Unpresented drafts produced for renewal shall be cancelled
and forwarded by departments to the Treasury accompanied by a
new voucher for payment from the Other Deposit Account "Drafts
Unpaid".
Paid and vouchers. 
Remittance of 
unpaid amounts to 
authorised bank.
60. (1) Vouchers paid by departments in cash out of moneys
drawn from the Treasury by schedule shall be returned to the
Treasury duly receipted and stamped and accompanied by a copy of
the relative abstract not later than the 15th day of the month
following that on which the money was withdrawn.
(2) Any amounts remaining in hand in respect of unpaid
vouchers shall be forthwith remitted to an authorised bank to the
credit of the public account and shall be accounted for to the
Treasury as an ordinary remittance.
(3) The unpaid vouchers shall be returned to the Treasury with
an appropriate note. New vouchers will thereafter be submitted
with the next schedule.
Preparation and 
submission of 
vouchers.
Amended by:
L.N. 1 of 1980.
61. (1) At the end of each month, accounting officers shall, as
far as possible, call upon suppliers of authorised services and stores
to send in their claims within the first ten days of the ensuing
month.
(2) Vouchers payable at the Treasury shall be prepared on the
prescribed form, supported by sub-vouchers, where necessary, and
shall contain full particulars. Such vouchers duly certified by the
accounting officers shall be forwarded to the Treasury under cover
of an abstract within the first twenty days subsequent to the month
to which they relate.
12 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
(3) In the last month of any financial year, all vouchers for
supplies made up to the 15th December shall be presented for
payment at the Treasury not later than the 20th of that month.
Safeguards before 
payment.
62. Before authorising any payment, the Accountant General
shall satisfy himself that the incidence of charge is correct, that the
payment will not cause an excess on the provision authorised for
the service, that adequate information has been given on the
voucher on the nature of the services rendered or the supplies
delivered, and that the certificate has been signed by the proper
officer.
Withholding of 
payments.
63. If it appears to the Accountant General that any payment
voucher is drawn up for a service not included in the estimates or
that it is in excess of the authorised provision for the service, or
that it is in any way inaccurate or incorrect, he shall withhold
payment and return the voucher to the department concerned.
Separate vouchers 
for separate 
sub-heads.
64. Separate vouchers shall, as far as possible, be used for
separate sub-heads and for the payment of different services,
especially in cases where each service has been separately
authorised.
Reimbursement of 
expenses to public 
officers.
65. (1) Wherever public officers present claims in
reimbursement of expenses incurred by them for the public service,
subvouchers in the shape of actual receipts shall be produced.
(2) When sub-vouchers cannot be obtained the officer shall
certify that the charges have been incurred solely for the public
service and actually paid by him.
Payees. 66. (1) Payments shall in all circumstances be made only to
the persons named in the vouchers or to their properly authorised
representatives.
(2) Where the payee will be unable to sign in
acknowledgement of receipt, he shall instead make his mark in the
presence of a person, other than the paying officer, who shall be a
witness to the identity of the payee and to the payment made to him
and to that effect shall sign the receipt.
(3) When payment is made to persons other than those named
on the voucher or paylists, the authority in virtue of which payment
can be made to them shall be registered in the department and noted
on the vouchers.
Payment of wages.
Substituted by:
L.N. 95 of 1975.
Amended by:
L.N. 121 of 1975.
67. (1) Save as otherwise provided, payment of salaries and
wages shall be made by a draft made payable to the employee
entitled thereto.
(2) Where payment is made weekly or fortnightly, the draft
shall bear the date of the Friday of the week on which payment is
due, and where payment is made by the month, the draft shall bear
the date of the last Friday of the month; but, in either case, if the
Friday on which payment is due as  aforesaid is a public holiday the
draft shall bear the date of the last preceding working day;
moreover the draft may in any case be issued and delivered earlier
than the date which it bears.
(3) The drafts shall be signed by an officer not below the grade
GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 13
of executive officer delegated for the purpose by the Head of
Department concerned and recognized by the Accountant General
as a proper officer for the purpose aforesaid.
(4) Salaries and wages may also be paid in such manner and
subject to such conditions as the Minister may in writing authorise,
and any such authority may be given either in respect of special
cases or for special reasons, or in respect of classes of cases and
may also be given generally.
(5) Nothing in this regulation shall be construed as affecting
the observance of any judgment, decree or order of any court,
relating to the payment of any wages or salaries.
E. CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROL
Expenditure to be 
limited to approved 
estimates.
68. When the annual estimates have been finally approved and
the moneys provided therein have been appropriated by law, the
expenditure of the financial year shall be held to be definitely
limited and arranged.
Approved 
estimates to form 
basis of accounts 
of financial year.
69. The approved estimates shall form the basis of the accounts
of the financial year to which they relate and the classification and
subdivision of the revenue and expenditure must accord with the
details of the estimates. 
Anticipated 
excesses.
70. (1) It shall be the duty of all accounting officers to watch
the progress of expenditure during the course of a financial year
and to report at once, through the Minister responsible for their
department, to the Minister whenever it appears to them that the
voted provision will prove insufficient to meet the essential
requirements for approved services up to the end of the financial
year.
(2) The report shall contain full reasons for the anticipated
excess as well as the valid circumstances which render necessary
any additional provision.
Restrictions on 
expenditure.
71. Except with the specific authority of the Minister no
accounting officer may make any purchase, contract, agreement or
arrangement involving expenditure from a head -
(i) in excess of the sum provided on the appropriate
subhead; and
(ii) on any service not included in the estimates.
Reserved 
expenditure.
72. The Minister may direct that certain expenditure, although
provided for in the estimates, may not be incurred without his
specific or general approval.
Accounting of 
expenditure.
73. (1) Expenditure properly chargeable to the estimates of a
financial year shall as far as possible be accounted for within that
year.
(2) Payment for services or supplies obtained during a
financial year shall not be deferred or carried over to any
subsequent year for the purpose of avoiding an excess on the
approved provision for the service.
Payment as arrear 
charges.
74. (1) Any claims which remain unavoidably unpaid at the
end of a financial year shall not be defrayed from the votes of the
14 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
subsequent year unless authority is obtained from the Secretary for
their being paid as arrear charges on the accounts of the financial
year to which they refer.
(2) The authority for payment as arrear charges shall be quoted
on the vouchers prior to their being passed for payment.
No payment to be 
made before it falls 
due and no 
unexpended 
balance to be held 
in reserve.
Amended by:
L.N. 254 of 1998.
75. Unless otherwise authorised in writing by the Minister, no
payment for any service or supply shall be made before it falls due
in order to utilise any existing balance prior to the end of a
financial year nor may any unexpended balance of an existing
provision be drawn upon for the purpose of holding money in
reserve to meet impending liabilities or for passing it to a deposit or
suspense account:
Provided that the Minister may further authorise in writing
that any funds appropriated in any financial year for any purpose be
placed in a separate account which may be drawn upon, after the
end of the financial year when such funds have been so
appropriated, for the purposes for which the said funds have been
originally appropriated; provided that any surplus remaining in any
such account shall, upon the winding up of the said account, be
transferred to the Consolidated Fund.
Accounting for the 
purchase or sale of 
securities.
76. (1) In accounting for the purchase or sale of securities the
cost price or selling price thereof shall be entered under
"Investments" or "Investments Realised" below-the-line, that is to
say, following after and distinct from the entries relating to revenue
and to expenditure charged against revenue
(2) Any profit or loss on sale as compared with the value at
which the securities sold appear in the accounts shall be credited or
debited as the case may be to the proper account to which securities
belong, unless otherwise provided for in any law.
Valuation of 
securities at close 
of financial year.
Amended by:
L.N. 83 of 1973.
77. (1) At the close of each financial year each of the
securities held on public account or any other account shall be
valued at the current middle market price in London on the last
working day of the financial year, and the value assigned to each
security in the accounts shall be adjusted so as to correspond with
that price.
(2) The amount by which the new value exceeds or falls short
of the old value shall be carried to the credit or debit of the proper
account to which the securities belong unless otherwise provided
for in any law:
Provided that the securities held by the Malta Government
Savings Bank shall be accounted for at their cost price or their
middle market value whichever is the lower.
Transfer of 
securities from one 
fund to another.
78. When securities are transferred from one fund to another,
they shall be so transferred at the current middle market price in
London at the date of transfer.
Expenditure on 
services of a 
confidential nature.
79. Any necessary expenditure on services of a confidential
nature, the purpose and particulars of which cannot be made public,
shall be supported in the accounts by a certificate of payment by
the accounting officer concerned and by a declaration by the
Minister that he has satisfied himself that the money has been
GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 15
properly expended. 
Writing off of 
losses of public 
moneys.
Amended by:
L.N. 1 of 1980;
L.N. 30 of 1985.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
80. Authority for the writing off of any loss of public moneys
shall be given by the Secretary or by such other officers as may be
delegated by the Minister:
Provided that -
(i) where the amount in any one case does not
exceed two thousand five hundred liri, the write
off may also be authorised by the Permanent
Secretary responsible for the Department
concerned;
(ii) where the amount in any one case does not
exceed five hundred liri write off may also be
authorised by the Head of the Department
concerned:
Provided further that, in all instances, recommendations
for write offs shall state what remedial action has been taken to
avoid future recurrences. Heads of Department shall be responsible
to ensure that no amounts of money due to Government become
time-barred.
Accounts of 
enterprise 
administered by a 
department.
81. Where any department administers any public or industrial
enterprise the receipts and payments shall, except where otherwise
expressly provided for, be accounted for to the Accountant General
and included in his monthly and annual accounts.
Cash book and 
subsidiary books.
82. (1) Every accounting officer who in the course of his duty
is responsible for the receipt, custody and disbursement of public
funds shall keep a cash book in which all receipts and payments
shall be promptly entered.
(2) All cash books shall be balanced daily and checked with
the cash in the office till.
(3) In addition to a cash book the following books shall also be
kept:
( a ) revenue book in which all revenue collected shall be
entered and classified under the different items of
revenue. The revenue book shall also show the dates
and amounts of the remittances to the Treasury;
( b ) expenditure book or charge book, in which are entered
individually all payments made. Such payments shall
be entered under the respective sub-head of
expenditure as approved in the General Estimates.
Expenditure books shall be kept in such a way as will
clearly show under each sub-head:
(i) the total amount of expenditure authorised for
the service during the year;
(ii) the amount of expenditure charged;
(iii) the balance remaining available for expenditure
at a given date;
( c ) deposit account book, in which shall be recorded all
receipts and payments of moneys held by way of a
16 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
deposit authorised by the Treasury to be held for a
specific purpose;
( d ) Departments keeping a bank account shall at the close
of each month draw up a statement to reconcile the
balance of the bank account as it appears on the
department’s books with the balance on the bank
statement. A copy of the statement shall be sent to the
Treasury for transmission to the Auditor General. Such
statement shall be accompanied where possible by the
bank statement and where this is not practicable by the
bank’s certificate showing the closing balance of the
month.
Closing of 
accounts by 
accounting 
officers.
83. (1) As soon as possible after the close of each month the
Accountant General shall send to accounting officers statements of
the revenue and expenditure as well as statements of all
below-the-line receipts and payments. It shall be the responsibility
of accounting officers, before closing the accounts of their
departments for any one month, to see that the figures in their
books actually correspond with those on the said statements, and in
the case of departments which operate a bank account, to ensure
that the balance in their cash book agrees or is reconciled with the
statement of account of the bank.
(2) Accounting officers shall within a week certify to the
Treasury the correctness or otherwise of such statements.
F. IMPREST
Payments out of 
imprest.
84. Accounting officers to whom an imprest is issued in terms
of article 31 of the Act shall not make payments out of such imprest
for services other than those named on the relative warrant.
Accounting of 
imprest.
85. (1)  A separate account shall be kept for each imprest, in
which shall be entered, in order of date, all receipts and payments.
(2) The account shall be balanced on the day on which the
imprest has to be accounted for to the Treasury.
Accounting of 
imprest to the 
Treasury.
86. All moneys drawn by imprest shall be accounted for to the
Treasury on or before the end of the month in which they are issued 
unless the terms of the warrant require otherwise.
G. SPECIAL ADVANCES
Accounting of 
advances.
87. Whenever any disbursements as provided for in article 35
of the Act are made against repayment, there shall be opened a
separate account to which shall be debited all the expenses
chargeable to the account and to which all repayments shall be
credited.
Lapse of authority 
under warrant.
88. The authority for the issue of funds conveyed by the
warrant under the hand of the Minister shall lapse by the end of the
financial year to which it refers.
Amount authorised 
by warrant not to 
be exceeded.
89. The expenditure chargeable to any of the accounts referred
to in regulation 87 shall in no case exceed the amount authorised by
warrant and it shall be the duty of accounting officers to see that
such accounts are repaid as early as possible in the manner
specified in the warrant.
GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 17
Balancing of 
advance accounts.
90. The said accounts shall be balanced at the end of each
financial year and where an account is not fully repaid by that date
the debit balance shall be carried forward to the ensuing financial
year.
H. CUSTODY OF PUBLIC MONEYS
Names of certain 
officers to be given 
to Accountant 
General and to 
Auditor General.
91. Heads of departments shall inform the Accountant General
and the Auditor General of the names of all officers entrusted with
the receipt and custody of public moneys as well as of all officers
charged with the control of accounts and departmental expenditure.
Certification of 
revenue collected.
Amended by:
L.N. 41 of 1982.
92. All statements or returns certifying to the accuracy of
collections of revenue or other public moneys shall be signed by
the head of the department concerned or by any other officer not
below the grade of administrative assistant whom the head of the
department may delegate to sign on his behalf and whom the
Accountant General will have recognised as the proper officer for
the purpose.
No public moneys 
in private accounts.
93. Public moneys shall on no account be lodged in a private
account in any bank.
Strong rooms and 
safes for the 
custody of public 
moneys.
94. (1) Strong rooms or safes shall be provided for the
custody of public moneys in all offices where it is necessary to
keep public moneys overnight.
(2) Strong rooms shall be fitted with two or more different
locks, the keys of which shall be held by different officers.
Cash holdings.
accounts or use strong rooms will keep in their immediate charge
only such sums of money as may be necessary to meet current cash
requirements.
Disposal of cash 
received.
96. (1) All cash received by public officers shall be deposited
as soon as possible in the safe or strong room provided for the
purpose, or paid into an authorised bank. The officer concerned
will he held personally responsible for any loss arising from
negligence in this respect.
(2) No officer shall keep or allow to be kept on any
Government safe or strong room under his charge any money
except public moneys or such as by virtue of his office he is bound
to receive and account for; nor may private moneys be included in
any Government banking account.
Stock of stamps to 
be kept in safe or 
strong room.
97. The main stock of stamps, both postage and revenue, shall
to be kept in the safe or strong room appointed for that purpose.
Boards of Survey.
the last business day of each financial year, or before the
commencement of business on the first day of the new financial
year, shall be appointed by the Prime Minister to examine the
Treasury cash, bank balances, and stamps.
Cash shortages and 
amounts in excess.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
99. (1) Any cash shortage discovered shall be made good
forthwith by the officer concerned.
(2) All amounts found in excess shall be kept temporarily in an
Other Deposit Account for a period of three months pending
18 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
verification of the accounts, after which, if no error is discovered
justifying a refund, such amounts shall be passed to the
Consolidated Fund.
Record of cash 
discrepancies.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
100. There shall be kept within the Department a detailed record
of cash discrepancies during each financial year.
Investigation, 
refund, write off of 
cash discrepancies.
Amended by:
L.N. 1 of 1980;
L.N. 30 of 1985.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
101. (1) All cash discrepancies are to be investigated by the
Head of Department concerned within one month from the date of
occurrence.
(2) Except in the case of any negligence, amounts up to one
hundred liri may be authorised for refund or write off by the Head
of Department. In all other instances, the authority for refund or
write off shall be given by the Permanent Secretary responsible for
the Department concerned:
Provided that, in all cases, the recommendations shall
indicate the circumstances leading to the loss of cash and the
remedial action, as necessary, taken to avoid similar recurrences.
Detailed 
statements of cash 
losses.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
102. (1) Heads of Department shall furnish to their Permanent
Secretary six-monthly statements indicating, by category, the
instances of departmental write off of cash losses, specifying
therein the remedial action taken.
(2) Heads of Department shall furnish to their Permanent
Secretary, the Accountant General, and the Auditor General, with
an annual statement of all cash losses occurring through theft,
fraud, or negligence, and of all departmental write offs authorised
during that financial year.
Stamps stock book. 103. Officers who are required to hold a stock of stamps shall
keep a stock book containing the number and value of stamps of
each denomination received and issued together with the date of
each transaction.
J. STORES
Authority to hold 
stocks of 
unallocated stores.
104. (1) The authority of the Minister shall be sought by any
department which may require to hold a stock of unallocated stores.
(2) Such stores shall be limited to supplies of a general
character required for ordinary works and services carried out
during the course of a financial year.
(3) The cost of such stores shall be charged to a Suspense
Account which shall be credited with the value of stores
immediately they are issued for works or services.
Items of value 
donated to Heads 
of Department.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
105. (1) Heads of Department in receipt of items of value by
way of donation in their official capacity are to declare such
donations in a report to their Permanent Secretary.
(2) Any such donations shall invariably be taken on charge in
the store ledger or inventory list as the case may be.
GENERAL FINANCIAL g S.L.174.01 19
Stocktaking by 
departments and 
reporting of 
deficiencies.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
106. (1) Heads of Department shall satisfy themselves by
occasional stocktaking, and during the first month of the financial
year in any case, that the balances of stores on charge are actually
in stock, and shall furnish to their Permanent Secretary a report on
each physical check of stores carried out, stating the date on which
the stocktaking was held, the stores examined and the results
obtained. Such report shall be copied to the Auditor General.
(2) Discrepancies between book balances and actual stock
resulting from such stocktaking shall immediately be reported by
the Head of Department to his Permanent Secretary.
Verification of 
stock by National 
Audit Office.
107. All Government stores, except those for which special
rules have been laid down by Government, shall also be completely
verified at least once a year by one of the stock verifiers attached to
the National Audit Office. Stock verifiers shall report on their
findings to the Minister through the Auditor General.
Condemnation of 
stores as 
unserviceable and 
writing off thereof.
Substituted by:
L.N. 24 of 1971.
Amended by:
L.N. 30 of 1985.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
108. (1) The condemnation as unserviceable and writing off of
stores or other articles shall be sanctioned by the Permanent
Secretary responsible for the department concerned on the report of
a Board of Survey, which board shall not include any members of
the staff of the Department concerned.
(2) Where, in the discretion of the Head of Department, the
articles in question are of small original value, authority may be
sought from his Permanent Secretary to dispense with a Board.
Record of receipt 
and disposal of 
stores.
109. (1) Every officer having in his charge any stores shall
keep a record of their receipt and disposal or consumption in a form
acceptable to the Auditor General.
(2) Departments authorised to keep a stock of unallocated
stores shall keep a quantitative and value record of such stores.
Disposal of stores 
by tender.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
110. Except where the Minister otherwise directs, surplus
store-items shall be disposed of by the Director of Contracts
following a public call for tenders issued by him:
Provided that -
(i) such store-items with an estimated value not
exceeding twenty thousand liri may also be
disposed of departmentally as may be approved
by the Permanent Secretary responsible for the
Department concerned following a public call
for tenders issued through the Director of
Contracts;
(ii) such store-items with an estimated value not
exceeding two thousand five hundred liri may
also be disposed of departmentally at the
discretion of the Permanent Secretary
responsible for the department concerned
following the receipt of not less than five
quotations from the open market;
(iii) such store-items with an estimated value not
exceeding five hundred liri may also be disposed
of departmentally at the discretion of the Head
of the Department concerned:
20 g S.L.174.01 GENERAL FINANCIAL
Provided further that, in all instances, public officers shall
not be allowed to quote or to tender for the acquisition of such
store-items both in a direct or in an indirect manner.
Donations to 
institutes and 
organisations.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
111. Store or inventory items not required for Government
purposes may be donated to institutions or organisations, against a
formal receipt, following recommendations for that purpose by the
Head of Department and as approved by the Permanent Secretary
concerned:
Provided that Heads of Department shall, at the end of each
financial year, furnish the Secretary through their Permanent
Secretary with a list of such donations showing the beneficiaries
and confirming that their store and inventory records have been
updated accordingly.
Loans to other 
departments.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
112. Except with the authority of the Permanent Secretary
concerned, store items shall not be issued by a Head of Department
on loan other than to another Government Department or to a
Government organisation.
Writing off of 
losses of stores.
Amended by:
L.N. 24 of 1971;
L.N. 82 of 1979;
L.N. 30 of 1985.
Substituted by:
L.N. 83 of 1999.
113. (1) Cases of losses or shortages of stores shall be
investigated by a Board of Survey to be appointed by the
Permanent Secretary responsible for the department concerned.
Such Board, which shall not include any member of the staff of the
department responsible for the stores, shall report on its findings
and make recommendations thereon to the Permanent Secretary,
who shall be authorised to act upon such recommendations.
(2) The Board of Survey may be dispensed with at the
discretion of the Permanent Secretary where the Head of
Department concerned certifies that there is no  prima facie
evidence of fraud or negligence, and that the value of any one item
does not exceed two hundred liri.
(3) In all instances, authority for the writing off of losses or
shortages of stores shall be vested in the Secretary:
Provided that -
(i) stores with an estimated value not exceeding
five thousand liri may also be written off by
authority of the Permanent Secretary responsible
for the department concerned;
(ii) stores with an estimated value not exceeding
five hundred liri may also be written off by
authority of the Head of Department concerned.
