By Crispina Taylor
The new Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) report, 2015 has accused the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) and the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) of failing to implement recommendations that will improve the management of Ebola funds.
The preamble of the report indicates that the audit on Ebola funds was undertaken in order to ascertain whether “allocations” and “donations” received directly from government and donor agencies in the fight against the Ebola epidemic were utilised with due regard to “economy” and “efficiency.”
In the first Ebola report released last year, it was recommended that the head of Health for All Coalition, a local civil society organisation, Charles Mambu, repays a loan of Le160M within one month after the adoption of the report.Also,NERCand MoHS must fast-track all outstanding payments to suppliers, among others.
In the new Ebola report titled: “Report on the Audit of the Management of Ebola Funds by the National Ebola Response Centre, November 2014 to April 2015”, tabled before parliament by deputy Chairman of Public Accounts Committee,Komba Eric Koedoyoma,it’s noted that there was no indication that the two institutions had implemented the recommendations proffered.
“…little or no action was taken by the MOHS and NERC in implementing the comments and recommendations made by the Public Accounts Committee on the previous Ebola report,” a portion of the report reads.
Apart from the failure of MoHS and NERC to implement ASSL recommendations, the current report indicates that no adequate funds wereavailable in MoHS’ coffers prior to the initiation of procurement proceedings. This situation has resulted into the ministry’s indebtedness to some local contractors. As it stands, MoHS, the report noted, owes the contractors US$488,280 and Le887M for the supply of goods and services as well as completed health projects.
The report further explained that some procurement actions were not open, competitive or transparent, and that control measures that were supposed to be instituted when procurements were made in an emergency situation were completely ignored.
Certain bids, the report stated, were not evaluated, and that evidence of procurement committee minuteswere not presented to justify the selection of contractors.
“The controls over disbursement of funds were not always adequate…Retirement details in respect of funds given to some government and no-governmental institutions valued at US$ 145,000 and Le7.5billion, respectively, were not made available to justify the utilisation of those funds.
Payments which amounted to Le 2 billion were made from the Ebola Response Account for food items without adequate documentary evidence such as receipts, distribution list and delivery notes,” the report adds.
(C) Politico 02/03/16
