COA to NBI: Explain P7.8-M office supplies purchase

The Commission on Audit (COA) ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday to explain why it did not bid out its P7.8million office supplies deal last year.

State auditors also directed agency officials to “show cause why the transactions should not be suspended and or disallowed in audit.”

In a 2015 report released yesterday, the COA said the office supplies were procured through shopping or emergency purchases, mostly from the same suppliers, on a staggered basis.

This method of buying office supplies, state auditors said, does not comply with Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The audit team added that common- use supplies were purchased from private suppliers without certificates of non-availability of stocks from the procurement service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), again in violation of existing rules and regulations.

The COA report added that Administrative Order No. 17 dated July 28, 2011 issued by President Aquino provides that common- use supplies shall be procured directly from the PS- DBM and its depots without the need for public bidding.

State auditors said the NBI should stop buying goods through shopping or emergency purchases on a staggered basis and “submit an explanation” as to why this was done in 2015 and in previous years.

The NBI claimed that it bought office supplies from firms that were compliant with Government Procurement Policy Board requirements.

The NBI supply and property section chief also said that waiting for the certificate of non-availability of stocks from the PS-DBM will hamper the agency’s operation.