Report flags Carifesta overspending

THE Auditor General’s department has flagged incomplete invoices and $12 million in overspending for the hosting of Carifesta XIV in 2019.

This was one of the issues discussed Wednesday during a virtual Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting with the auditor general’s department and Finance Ministry officials on the auditor general’s report of the public accounts for the financial year 2019.

The report stated that total Expenditure of $28,381,830.44 added to bills on hand of $12,355,316.35 was in excess of the 2018/2019 allocation of $28,400,000.00 by an amount of $12,337,146.79.

PAC member Charisse Seepersad asked about the $12 million overspending and whether the department received an explanation. Auditor General Lorelly Pujadas replied the budget was $43 million but in the annual budget $28 million was allocated to Carifesta and on top of that there were bills of $12 million.

“So for that particular year it was an excess of $12 (million).” Asked about the explanation, Pujadas said no response have been received as yet from the ministries but she pointed out that many ministries were now returning to work (after the covid19 stay at home measures). She said therefore the ministries would now be going through the department’s letters and would have to respond to them formally. The report also stated that appeared to be a lack of control with regard to the issuing of invoice orders for payments under Carifesta including that information on the invoice orders such as name and address of supplier, description of goods were not fully entered on all the invoice orders.

PAC chairman Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie also asked how the covid19 pandemic affected the department’s scope of works. Pujadas said that due to measures to minimise covid19 exposure – working from home, requesting soft copies of documents and photocopying) – the sample size was reduced and the scope curtailed by about 20 to 30 per cent. She added, however, that due to the significant amount of work done in the interim phase the department was able to move forward with the required level of assurance.

Tewarie asked if the pandemic underscored the need for a business continuity plan for the department. Pujadas replied the department was retooling its methodologies, improving technologies as well as improving file storage and data storage.

Tewarie then asked if it was an oversight that the department was not included under the essential services and Pujadas said they were possibly overlooked.