Safe Custody of Cash

• All cash, cheques and documents of value shall be kept in a safe or strong room.

Responsibility for Safekeeping of Cash

• The safekeeper and revenue collectors shall be responsible to the Accounting Head for the safekeeping of cash and other valuables.
• The safekeeper shall be responsible for:

o keeping the safe key;

o maintaining a safe register which is a record of all money and other valuables in the safe;

o conducting a stocktake of items in the safe at least once every week.

• The safekeeper shall be the only officer with access to the safe.
• Safes shall be obtained from the Ministry of Finance using the appropriate requisition form. The original form shall be forwarded to the Ministry while the duplicate copy shall be retained.
• Details of the delivered safe shall be recorded in a stock register, which shall outline the identification numbers of the safe and its location.
• If a safe needs to be transferred to another agency, the Accounting Head must obtain approval from the Chief Accountant, Ministry of Finance before transfer.

Loss of a Key

• The safekeeper shall be responsible for holding the safe key. Under no circumstance should any other officer make or hold a duplicate of the key.
• If the safekeeper loses the safe key, he/she must immediately inform the Accounting Head who shall report the matter to the Chief Accountant.
• The Chief Accountant will advise the Accounting Head of the cost of replacing the key, which the safekeeeper must bear.

Record of Valuables in the Safe

• The safekeeper shall maintain a safe register which should contain the following information:

o date and amount of cash/cheques deposited into or withdrawn from the safe;

o type of cash deposited, whether petty cash or revenue collection;

o date, cheque numbers and value of cheques in the safe;

o other valuables such as unused or partly-used receipt books or cheque books and their serial numbers.

• At any time there is movement of money or other items in and out of the safe, the safekeeper shall conduct a physical stocktake of the items in the safe and reconcile them to the safe register.
• Removal of any item from the safe shall be immediately noted in the safe register by the safekeeper.

Handing Over Responsibility for the Safe

• Responsibility for the safe can only be handed over to another officer with the approval of the Accounting Head (or Office Manager). Such officer shall assume all the responsibilities of the safekeeper.
• The safekeeper shall prepare and sign a handing over statement on each occasion when responsibility is handed over. The statement shall outline what items are being handed over to the officer for safekeeping.
• The officer shall verify each item on the list to the actual stock on hand. This must be done in the presence of the safekeeper.
• After checking all the items, the officer shall sign the handing over statement, accept the safe key and assume responsibilities of the safekeeper.
• A copy of the handing over statement shall be forwarded to the Accounting Head (or Office Manager).