E0.5m fumigation unauthorised – AG
MANZINI – An electronic security services was paid E0.5 million by the Ministry of Education and Training for fumigating its offices.
This, according to the Auditor General (AG), Timothy Matsebula, was payment for unauthorised services.
The AG, in the findings of his Compliance Audit Report for the Financial Year ended March 31, 2021, reported that KOSEL-CCTV was contracted by the ministry to provide electronic security services for CCTV maintenance of its access control system.
He said the company was also to conduct monthly servicing and general maintenance of the ministry’s electronic security system, as well as extra services in line with their services on request.
However, Matsebula said during the inspection, he noted that the company provided unauthorised sterilisation and fumigation services to the ministry, amounting to E506 700, which was not part of what the service provider was contracted for.
The AG reported that information clarifying the process followed by the ministry to acquire the unauthorised services from KOSEL-CCTV was not obtained.
He submitted that Section 114 (3) (d) and (e) of the public procurement regulations of 2008, stated that procuring entities should use the contract form included in the appropriate standard document issued in accordance with regulation 28 for drafting individual contract documents.
Contract
Matsebula reported that the contract should include all contract terms including (d), a clear description of goods, works or services purchased by the contract, including the technical requirements, quantity and delivery or completion schedule, based on the statement of requirements included in the invitation document and the suppliers tender, subject to any modifications agreed.
He said it also included the total contract price and if applicable, the conditions applicable to varying, adjusting, modifying or recalculating the actual price payable.
“Since no evaluation was made before engaging the services of KOSEL-CCTV for provision of the sterilisation and fumigation service, I am concerned that government may have been overcharged and moreover, procurement regulations were not complied with,” Matsebula reported.