An audit report has found federal government departments and agencies are over-using secrecy rules to hide details of millions of dollars in contracts.
Looking at a sample of contracts, the Australian National Audit Office found the use of confidentiality provisions did not comply with the rules for 86 per cent of the contracts.
"The audited entities were not able to consistently demonstrate the objective basis for suppliers' claims for confidentiality or their reasons for agreeing for the information to remain confidential," the report found.
Home Affairs was found to have the greatest value of reported confidential contracts, totalling $5.2 billion in 2016/17.
The department told the auditor-general it was committed to ensuring contract information is accurately reported and would review its guidance notes for staff involved in reporting on confidential provisions in contracts.
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