Rebuilding Public Confidence in Government--The Financial Manager's Role]

A major contributing factor in the erosion of the confidence of the public in the Federal Government has been the attention given in the media to evidence and allegations of waste, fraud, abuse, and error in the management of public programs. The misuse of Government funds is generated by relatively few employees who have seriously damaged the reputation of the 3 million other Federal employees who work conscientiously. The best way to restore the public's confidence in the Government is to improve the Government's operations and to do more to tell the public of the efforts and the results of these efforts. The Government needs to show that it is taking action to become more responsive and more responsible. This evidence can be provided by stepping up the efforts to collect the billions of dollars in debts owed the Government and overpayments of benefits, royalties, goods and services; and by following up on the $4.3 billion in collections and savings contained in the unresolved audit findings reported by auditors throughout the Government. Although the Government can take the initiative, the bulwark of the job to improve the confidence of the public in the Government falls to the financial managers, who through their management, accounting systems, and internal controls can minimize the possibilities of waste of the taxpayer's monies.