NITB's New York spree criticised by spending watchdog

Public spending watchdog, the Northern Ireland Audit Office, has again taken the Northern Ireland's Tourist Board to task.

The report released on Tuesday February 26, specifically focuses on details of the tourist board's expenditure on hospitality in New York.

It criticises the manager of the NITB New York office for running up a credit card bill of almost £25,000 in the year between April 2000 and March 2001.

This was a card that senior management in Belfast had said should not have been used, and when invoices were requested to explain the spending those produced covered only half the sum.

The Audit Office said it was surprised the Tourist Board did not notice sooner that considerable spending had been charged to the card - noting that hotel bills paid for with the card included movies, cigarettes and what were described as "spa services".

The report also identified "inappropriate" hospitality spending in New York and payments made to current and former members of NITB staff.

The chairman of the Stormont Audit Committee, John Dallat, described the report as "devastating".

He said: "The use of a credit card for a whole year after the NITB believed it had been withdrawn is bad enough. To have bills of £24,300 run up on it and receipts for less than half is a monumental scandal."

In response, the Tourist Board admitted that certain spending was "excessive" and exceeded its own procedures.

However, it said it had again told its staff of the need to follow procedures, and said it was satisfied the money was "spent helping to grow the North American tourist market".

The Audit report will be considered by the Public Accounts Committee at Stormont in April when witnesses are to be summoned.

(AMcE)