BY GEORGINA KEKEA
THOUGH it might seem like ancient history, the CDF audit report of 2009 to 2012 is still said to be relevant. In his foreword address in the CDF audit report, Auditor General Peter Lokay says he appreciates the report though it might be out of date.
In his comments in the report, he said it is clear from audit work undertaken that transparency, accountability and governance of the RCDF falls well short of that expected with regards to public finances.
“I have decided to issue this report as I am convinced that the range of problems raised in this work still applies today”.
The report also shared by the Office of the Auditor General’s website summarises the results of the audit of the Rural Constituency Development Funds (RCDF) for the years 2010 to 2012 and also for 18 constituencies, from 2009 to 2011.
For the 18 constituencies audited from 2009 to 2011, it was found that of the total possible claim of SBD 109,080,000 only payment vouchers relating to SBD62,730,000 were sighted during the audit; 57.5 percent of the possible total.
Of the SBD62,730,000; only acquittals valued at SBD 53,474,417 (85 percent) were sighted at the ministry.
Thus, SBD 9,265,583 was not accounted for. A summarized detail of the 18 constituencies audited from 2009 to 2011 are as follows.
| # | Constituency | Sum of entitled funding (SBD)
| Value of PVs sighted (SBD)
| Value of acquittals sighted (SBD)
| Percentage acquittals not sighted
|
| 1
| North East Guadalcanal | 6,060,000 | 3,860,000 | 3,449,866 | 11 |
| 2
| North West Guadalcanal | 6,060,000 | 3,720,000 | 3,126,181 | 16 |
| 3
| West Honiara | 6,060,000 | 4,060,000 | 3,960,320 | 2 |
| 4
| Central Honiara | 6,060,000 | 200,000 | 120,000 | 40 |
| 5
| East Honiara | 6,060,000 | 3,050,000 | 2,661,825 | 13 |
| 6
| East Malaita | 6,060,000 | 4,460,000 | 3,451,940 | 23 |
| 7
| Small Malaita | 6,060,000 | 2,000,000 | 1,415,336 | 29 |
| 8
| Aoke Langa Langa | 6,060,000 | 4,660,000 | 3,986,366 | 14 |
| 9
| Lau and Baelelea | 6,060,000 | 4,060,000 | 3,444,877 | 15 |
| 10
| East Are’are | 6,060,000 | 4,400,000 | 2,616,332 | 41 |
| 11
| Gizo Kolombangara | 6,060,000 | 4,060,000 | 3,612,517 | 11 |
| 12 | South Vella | 6,060,000 | 2,560,000 | 2,164,618 | 15
|
| 13
| Marovo | 6,060,000 | 3,460,000 | 3,260,688 | 6 |
| 14
| South New Georgia | 6,060,000 | 2,060,000 | 1,989,800 | 3 |
| 15
| Gao Bugotu | 6,060,000 | 5,000,000 | 4,293,492 | 14 |
| 16
| Hograno Kia Havulei | 6,060,000 | 4,060,000 | 2,850,260 | 30 |
| 17
| Ngella | 6,060,000 | 3,060,000 | 3,060,000 | 0 |
| 18
| Rennell Bellona | 6,060,000 | 4,000,000 | 4,000,000 | 0 |
| Total
| 109,080,000 | 62,730,000 | 53,464,418 | ||
| Total acquittals not sighted | 9,265,582
| ||||
| Average % acquittals not sighted
| 15% | ||||
The CDF report states that transparency, accountability and governance of the RCDF falls well short of that expected with regards to public finances and that significant changes are required.
Another table in the CDF report consists of the audited reports of 32 constituencies from the years of 2010 to 2012. It will be published in another article at a later date.
