(a) The Department shall exercise general control over the enforcement of the laws relating to finance, and shall—
(1) digest and prepare plans, from time to time, for the improvement and management of revenue, and for the support of the public credit;
(2) superintend and regulate the collection of all revenue except tax revenues required to be collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue;
(3) provide for a depository for all public funds;
(4) provide uniform regulations for the disbursement of all public funds, and establish a suboffice on the Island of St. Croix to process requisitions and disburse funds owing to St. Croix vendors;
(5) establish a uniform policy for the acceptance of checks, including electronic checks for the payment of fees and services of the Government of the Virgin Islands and establish a penalty for returned checks;
(6) establish a schedule of fees for the services of the Department not otherwise established by law;
(7) prescribe, from time to time, the forms for keeping and rendering the public accounts;
(8) render periodic and annual financial reports of income and expenditures;
(9) administer the laws licensing and regulating nickelodeons, and pinball machines;
(10) administer the laws relating to lotteries and racing; and pay the operating expenses of the lottery from the income in the lottery fund on a budget basis, subject to approval by the Governor;
(11) collect the fees and charges fixed by law for governmental services;
(12) exercise general supervision over, and custody of, the special and public trust funds;
(13) administer the laws licensing and regulating nickelodeons, and pinball machines;
(14) administer the laws relating to lotteries and racing; and pay the operating expenses of the lottery from the income in the lottery fund on a budget basis, subject to approval by the Governor;
(15) Repealed.
(16) collect the fees and charges fixed by law for governmental services;
(17) exercise general supervision over, and custody of, the special and public trust funds;
(18) Repealed.
(19) Repealed.
(b) The Commissioner of Finance shall conduct an annual audit of the financial records of the Government of the Virgin Islands. This audit shall cover all aspects of governmental operations, including federal programs compliance. The audit and a report of the audit shall be completed within 180 days after the close of the fiscal year. The Commissioner of Finance shall submit a copy of the report to the Governor and the Legislature.