-Auditor General’s Report uncovers
AMONG the numerous financial discrepancies under the previous coalition government, the regional administration of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice), lost millions owing to the abandonment of a contract for the construction of a health centre and living quarters in Wiruni, Berbice River.

This was according to the Report of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of Guyana and on the accounts of the ministries and departments for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

The report revealed that the $19.684 million contract was awarded in 2017 by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and the total payments made for works completed were $9.167Millon, with the contractor receiving an advance payment of $3.937Millon.

This represented 20 per cent of the contract sum, and this was followed by three interim payments of $2.019 million, $1.390 million, and $1.822 million, respectively.

“However, the works were incomplete, and the site was abandoned. The contract was subsequently terminated and it was difficult to ascertain whether or not the advance payment was fully recovered, or if a valuation at termination was prepared and all accounts settled,” the report revealed.

As a response, the region said that the Head of the Budget Agency indicated that this matter is presently engaging the Attorney General on the way forward.
Additionally, the Audit Office recommended that the Regional Administration ensure proper monitoring of all contracts awarded; a final account or valuation at termination is prepared; and any amount overpaid is recovered.

Earlier this year, other discrepancies were scrutinised before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
For instance, the regional administration of Region One (Barima-Waini), under the former coalition administration, did not maintain a register on fuel inventory for 2017, and several accounting discrepancies, including the receipt of more fuel than the region had capacity to store, has raised grave questions of accounting breaches at the regional administration.

According to findings, the region also did not maintain a register for fuel receipts and issuances; however, in total, there are more cases of fuel being issued than there were instances of fuel input, leaving several questions about what exactly took place in 2017 with the fuel in the region.

According to the 2017 Audit Report, while 817 drums (36,767 gallons) of fuel were received by the regional administration from various suppliers, amounts totalling 1,009 drums (45,420 gallons) were reflected as being issued. As a result, the records indicated an excess of 192 drums (8,653 gallons) of gasoline being issued, more than was paid for.

Moreover, while fuel was stored in one bond that had a maximum capacity of 50 drums of gasoline (2,250 gallons) and 10 drums of diesel (450 gallons) at any given time, evidence was seen where fuel was purchased in quantities beyond the storage capacity of the bond.