According to the report, “amounts totaling $138.599 million and $193.767 million were expended on fuel and lubricants for the years 2007 and 2008 respectively.” The fuel and lubricants were purchased from GuyOil. “The fuel and lubricants were delivered to and stored mainly in storage tanks at Whim Stores, Manarabisi and Black Bush Polder pump stations,” and were converted to and recorded in gallons in the relevant records at the three locations.
“Investigations carried out at these locations revealed that the quantity of fuel and lubricants acknowledged and recorded as having been received were often less than that stated on the invoices as having been actually delivered by the supplier,” the report stated.
It was also noted that “evidence of supervisory checks was not seen in respect of the receipt and issue of fuel and lubricants.”
In response, the Region’s Head of Budget Agency said that while the police were written to requesting an investigation into this matter there has been no response to date.
The Audit Office has recommended that the Regional Administration follow-up the matter as soon as possible so that the shortages can be investigated.
Meanwhile, the Regional Administration has still not been able to recover overpayments totalling $1.145 million made to contractors for the years 2006 and 2008. According to the report, in 2006 $202,000 was overpaid to the contractor rehabilitating the Johanna Primary School bridge, while a further $340,000 was overpaid during the rehabilitation of the bridge at Johanna, Black Bush Polder.
An additional $340,000 was overpaid to the contractor rehabilitating of the bridge at Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder while a further $263,000 was overpaid for the rehabilitation of Port Mourant Hospital mortuary.
The Head of the Budget Agency indicated that the contractors who were overpaid have been written to requesting refunds but there has been no response from the contractors.
It was recommended by the Audit Office that the Regional Administration “vigorously pursue this matter with the contractors in order to recover the overpayments”.
