DIMA Annual Report 1998-99
Overview: Introduction
The 1998-99 annual report of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs has four main parts:
Part one: Portfolio and corporate overview;
Part two: Program and performance reporting;
Part three: Appendices; and
Part four: Financial statements.
Two statutory authorities in the Portfolio, the Migration Review Tribunal/ Immigration Review Tribunal, and the Refugee Review Tribunal, publish their own annual reports and are not referred to in this document in any detail, apart from including their data on Senior Executive performance pay to preserve privacy, and their financial statements.
The same applies to the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd, which is a public company, limited by guarantee, within the Portfolio, and the Migration Agents Registration Authority, established in March 1998 to regulate the migration advice industry.
This is the last annual report the Department will prepare on a program basis. Together with most Commonwealth departments and agencies, the Department has continued to work toward the full implementation by 1 July 1999, of the Commonwealth's accrual-based, outcomes and outputs framework. Next year's annual report will reflect the implementation of this new framework.
The 1999-2000 Portfolio Budget Statements, released in May, were prepared on the basis of the new framework. That document focused on planned achievements and forecasted expenditure for the subsequent year as part of the 1999-2000 Budget. Next year's annual report will focus on looking back and reporting on what happened in the first year of the outcome, and output framework.
In implementing the new framework, it was agreed the work of the Portfolio, that is our outputs, would be aimed at achieving two outcomes: the "lawful and orderly entry and stay of people"; and "a society which values Australian citizenship, appreciates cultural diversity and enables migrants to participate equitably".
Performance indicators have been developed to facilitate future monitoring of the Department's success in delivering outputs. For further information, see the 1999-2000 Portfolio Budget Statements for the Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Portfolio (available on the Minister's website (www.minister.immi.gov.au).
A transition table showing the relationship between the 1998-99 programs framework, and the 1999-2000 outcomes and outputs framework, follows
.
Financial style conventions
The financial statements are prepared on an accrual basis in accordance with the Department of Finance and Administration guidelines and professional accounting requirements. Additional information about financial resources is summarised within each program and sub-program chapter.
All amounts displayed in multiples of $1000 have been rounded using standard rounding conventions. Totals are based on the underlying unrounded amounts and not the rounded amounts. Any discrepancies in tables between totals and sums of components are due to rounding.
Availability
Reference copies of this annual report are held at major libraries throughout Australia. Printed copies are available for purchase at Government Info Shops in each capital city. The text of the report is available on the Department's Internet site (www.immi.gov.au).
Inquiries about the distribution of this report should be directed to the Public Affairs Section, phone (02) 6264 2244 or facsimile (02) 6264 2479. Comments on this report should be addressed to:
Assistant Secretary
Ministerial and Communications Branch
DIMA
PO Box 25
Belconnen ACT 2616