The Education Ministry, in December of 2020, signed five contracts before they were awarded at the level of the Ministerial Tender Board (MTB) resulting in the continuous breach of the Procurement Act of 2003, according to Auditor General Deodat Sharma.
The findings were contained in the Auditor General’s report for the 2020 financial year, which was laid in the National Assembly on December 13.
When contacted, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said that she became aware of the issue when it was raised by the Auditor General during their investigation. She added that there is an explanation behind the signing of the contracts before being awarded.