By: Binta Jaiteh
Alhagie S. Darboe, Chairperson of the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) during the continuing engagement regarding the audit report on Covid-19 response food distribution phase 2 told the NDMA to provide the delivery notes, a list of the members of the regional disaster of various committees, undelivered items.
He also told the management to provide the entire documents that are assigned for the committee to compile the report and present it to plenary to be debated and for consideration.
However, Hon. Alhagie Mbow, Vice Chairperson of the committee added that the members know all the people responsible for documentation, noting they want all the deliveries made to NDMA to be accounted for.
According to the auditors, ascertain whether procurement quarantine centers in response to the Covid-19 emergency compiled with all relevant laws and regulations and the conclusion derived is also the key issue that the auditors revealed is that there is no evidence of need assessment, contracts awarded before GPPA approval, request for quotation were not done by the legal requirement because the services were rendered before sending for approval.
Auditors further commented that differences amounting to D1, 380, 186.08 were noted between the amount received by the embassies and the amount paid out to the students. No signatures of beneficiaries to confirm payments amounting to D76, 382.42 were received by them.
The overall objective of this audit was to ascertain that the distribution of food items in respect of Covid-19 was equitable and is not accounted for by relevant laws and regulations and that food items reached the intended beneficiaries promptly.
Meanwhile, During the discussion, Lamin Mass, NDMA, Director of Admin outlined that NDMA is not in the custody of the fund’s information that is available in terms of deliveries that were made at McCarthy Square or all the payments that have been made at the accountant general’s office were having sufficient supporting documents that tallies with the deliveries that NDMA received.
“I have the understanding that some payments were made without any supporting documents of NDMA while some are done and later returned. We should be very careful assuming that all payment should be equivalent to deliveries then there will be a problem,” he said.
