Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, has issued the following statement in response to the release of the audit report on the Community Gaming Grants program by the Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia:

“I want to thank the Office of the Auditor General for completing their thorough performance audit of our Community Gaming Grants program. I am pleased that the audit found government has a suitable framework in place to administer the program, and we recognize that improvements are needed in some key areas.

“The report outlines 10 recommendations, including the development of a performance management framework, and to evaluate the approach used in assessing applications. Government accepts all 10 recommendations.

“A number of steps have already been taken in 2016 that proactively address the report’s recommendations, including full consolidation of the program into the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, improvements to the program guidelines and development of a comprehensive policy and procedures manual to support a consistent and high-quality review of applications.

“We look forward to delivering improvements to the Community Gaming Grants program, including a revitalized focus on customer service, so that not-for-profit organizations throughout the province can continue to benefit from the program’s $135 million in annual funding.”