SAB reviews 322 topics

The emergency team of State Audit Bureau of Kuwait (SAB), during the period of 12th of March to 18th of April, reviewed 322 financial issues related to combating the consequences of COVID-19, with a total value of approximately KD 600 million ($1.9 billion) and achieved direct savings to the state treasury budget by about KD 3.65 million ($11.6 million).

In a press statement Sunday, SAB’s First Auditor of the Department of Social Affairs,

Fatima Darwish, said that the number of issues directly related to combating the repercussions of coronavirus are 124 issue, with a total value of KD 214 million ($685 million).

Darwish noted that the Ministry of Health had the largest share of these issues by 64 percent, which included 87 items, with a total value of KD 137 million ($439 million).

She pointed out that those issues included contracts to buy medicines to help combat the virus and another to support the strategic stock of chronic diseases in addition to renting temporary halls for emergency departments in hospitals.

This comes based on the Cabinet Resolution No. (413) taken at its meeting No. (16/2020) held on March 16 regarding the mechanism for managing the work of the temporary fund to receive cash contributions to support the government’s efforts in the face of the spread of coronavirus, she added.

Darwish indicated that the Audit Bureau emphasizes the need to coordinate efforts between government agencies in the country to limit the requirements needed to confront the emerging virus and obtain competitive prices in order to preserve the state’s public funding.