AUDITOR-GENERAL Adrian Strachan has knocked the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) for the awarding of 28 renovation contracts worth $38 million to one contractor during the 2002/2003 financial year.
In his annual report, tabled in Parliament a week ago, the Auditor-General noted that the contracts for refurbishing "certain buildings" occupied by the EOJ revealed several shortcomings.
"There was no evidence that 27 of the 28 jobs were awarded on the required competitive basis," Mr. Strachan said. He added that, with the work being fragmented as it was, the need for the National Contract Commission's recommendation as well as Cabinet approval had been circumvented.
"There was also no indication that the approval of the landlords was received for the alterations (to the buildings)," the Auditor-General said.
The EOJ revelation is similar to the splitting of a $50 million contract for the reconstruction of the Mondo track at the National Stadium into 13 separate contracts by the Urban Development Corporation. That breach of contract guidelines, according to Mr. Strachan, also circumvented the requirement for the award to be done on the recommendation of the National Contracts Commission Sector Committee.
The EOJ was also criticised for paying mobilisation advances ranging from 50 to 64 per cent, despite Cabinet policy which stipulates a limit of 10 per cent.
"A suitably qualified person was not required to certify that the work was satisfactorily done before claims made were paid," Mr. Strachan added.
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When contacted Monday, EOJ communications manager Neville Graham said he was unable to comment on the matter. At the same time, Danville Walker, the Director of Elections, was reportedly out of the country. He will be expected to respond to the Auditor-General's concerns when called to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee sometime this year.
Mr. Strachan had also ex-pressed concern about the payment of more than $6 million to 22 staff members for work done beyond normal working hours.
"The hours worked could not be verified as the employees were not required to record their time of arrival and departure," he said.
