Home Blog Page 684

MHMS bid waiver process for NRH isolation ward not effectively managed: OAG Report

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
-
0
Isolation ward at NRH during the height of the covid-19 pandemic.

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

THE bid waiver process (procurement in a state of emergency) of the isolation ward at the National Referral Hospital was not effectively managed by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

That is according to the audit report on procurement relating to COVID-19 Disaster relief fund by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) released yesterday by the Office of the Auditor General.

The report says there are cases that the health ministry was unable to provide required documentation. For instance, 16 contracts were issued for the refurbishment of the isolation ward at the National Referral Hospital in March 2020.The certificates of completion of this work was issued on April 10, 2020.The purchase requisition or these procurements was signed in June 16, 2020 as bid waiver.

“If required authorizations and approvals are not obtained before work has been done or goods have been accepted, the government has no choice but to pay the vendor, so applying the internal controls at that point does not have any meaning,” the report said.

It adds, Ministry of health stated that most of the documentation was completed at a later date due to activities were requested to be completed in a given time frame to and during the auditing process the OAG picked out that internal controls do not just apply when is convenient.

“The appropriate response to the urgent situation was to put more effort and, if necessary, resources into completing controls activities in the correct order, not to discard them until after the procurement was complete,” the report stated.

The report also spelt out that in the case of the isolation ward refurbishment, the bid Waiver for 15 procurements totaling SBD2.4 million was approved by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Pauline McNeil even though this authority rests with the Central Tender Board, under the the Ministry of Finance & Treasury (MoFT) and chaired by McKinnie Dentana who is also the Permanent Secretary of MoFT.

“The failure to implement controls prior to undertaking procurement is a significant breakdown of internal control and the Ministry should take steps to ensure that it does not happen again,” the report stated.

Ministry of Health and Medical services comments inside the report stated that the ministry has highlighted that the context of this occurrence, the pandemic, their roles, resources allocations or mobilisation legislative guidelines in protecting the country is limited, challenging and with many gaps.

“Since this is the first in the Solomon Islands history, the ministry acknowledges their resort to moblising resources through available or existing procurement guidelines as per the Procurement & Contract Administration Manual 2013 (PCAM) for Bid Waiver request,” Ministry of health stated.

Bid waiver not managed in covid-19 fund spending by MHMS, NDMO & MID: OAG Report

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
-
0
Released audited reports from the Office of the Auditor General ( OAG).

By EDDIE OSIFELO

THREE frontline ministries during Covid 19 pandemic have not managed their bid waiver process in the procurement process effectively.

This was found in a thematic audit released by Office of the Auditor General yesterday.

OAG audited the accounts of Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Ministry of Infrastructures Development and National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) through the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology from April 2020 to December 2020.

The objectives of these audits were to assess whether these agencies managed COVID-19 Procurement in accordance with relevant laws, policies and regulations of Solomon Islands Government. These include the Public Financial Management Act 2013, the Interim Financial Instructions currently in force and the Solomon Islands Government Procurement and Contract Manual [PCAM].

According to SIG Procurement, in a normal cycle of procurement, up to $10,000, you have to provide one written quote.

From $10,000 to $100,000, you have to provide 3 written quotes with selection using a comparative bid analysis.

From $100,000 to $500,000, the bid will go through the Ministerial Tender Board competitive tender.

More than $500,000, to go through Central Tender Board (CTB) competitive tender.

However, procurement during State of Emergency, there will be a bid waiver.

Where competitive and simple tendering is not possible a bid waiver request can be used.

A reasonable reason needs to be justified.

CTB approve procurement with value of $100,000 and over and Accountant General is delegated authority for $10,000 to $100,000.

Auditor General David Teika Dennis said in February 2016 the Central Tender Board issued a Memo (CTB Memo) reminding Ministries all bid waivers of any value had to be approved by the Central Tender Board.

Dennis said this Memo explicitly overrode existing contradictory instructions or memoranda.

He said this meant that when the State of Public Emergency was declared the existing rules provided that bid waivers would be allowed under the SoPE and all bid waiver requests were required to be submitted to the Central Tender Board for approval.

“The results in all three audits showed that on many occasions non- competitive procurement had occurred before a bid waiver approval was received and, in some cases, there was no indication that a bid waiver approval was ever received.

“In several instances, procurement was completed before a bid waiver was even applied for, as if the approval of the bid waiver by the CBT was just a rubber stamp,” he said.

In other cases, Bid Waivers were approved by the Ministerial Tender Board or the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry in contravention of the CBT Memo.

“For example, significant refurbishment work was done at the King George VI School, as this was designated a quarantine centre on 27 March 2020. By 8 April 2020 all of the required work had been certified as complete.

“OAG examined 12 individual procurement activities for this refurbishment. The purchase requisitions for all of this work were signed in early May2020 and Bid Waivers were issued by the CTB for all 12 procurements on 5 May 2020, nearly a month after the work had been completed,” he said.

Dennis said all 12 contracts were signed on 11 May 2020, also more than a month after the work was completed.

Furthermore, one business provided various accessories for a quarantine site, and issued an invoice for these on 16 September 2020.

“A Purchase Requisition had been approved on the same day and a Payment Voucher was approved on 22 September.

“At this stage the goods had been provided and certified as such,” he said.

Dennis said a Bid Waiver was then approved on 29 October, well after the substance of the transaction was complete and six weeks after the items purchased were available for use.

Apart from that, Dennis said one contract for refurbishment of the Kiwi hostel at the NRH was for $625,123.

He said this contract involved significant construction and concreting work.

“A bid waiver request was submitted on 7 April 2020 at which time the work must have been substantially complete as it was certified as such just two days later.

“The contract to undertake this work was signed on 24 September 2020. The Bid Waiver was approved by the CTB on 17 September 2020,” he said.

Dennis said the approval to incur this expenditure on the Purchase Requisition was signed on 19 October 2020, 7 months after the expenditure had actually been incurred.

He said justification for the bid waiver was often that the provider was able to supply the goods or services and was willing to do so on credit.

“There was never any indication if the purchasing officer had found out if any other suppliers were willing and able to do the same.

“Officers responsible for procurement appeared to assume that the approval of a bid waiver was guaranteed, but even in this situation the officer is still responsible for at least a cursory check that the Government is getting good value of money,” he said.

“Phone calls to a few suppliers with brief notes on their responses would have provided accountability for these decisions but there was no evidence that this was even considered.

“The new Public Financial Management (Procurement) Regulations (2021) (PFMR 2021) state that a Bid Waiver applies in an SoPE if as a result of the SoPE, procurement by competitive tendering or simple procurement procedures is not possible. ‘Not possible’ is an absolute term and normal competitive or simple procurement would have been possible with all of the transactions reviewed in these audits,” he added.

$400 FOR 1 PILLOW

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
-
0
The National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara

Audit report shows how covid-19 funds were spent by MHMS, NDMO & MID in 2020

By MAVIS N PODOKOLO & EDDIE OSIFELO

Millions of dollars of public funds were squandered and misused in 2020, a report from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) published yesterday has suggested.

OAG investigated how three ministries procured goods and services using covid-19 funds from April to December, 2020.

They are the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), The Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) and National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) under the ministry of environment, climate change, disaster management & meteorology (MECDM).

The OAG in publishing the thematic audit report yesterday also called on the national government to strengthen its procurement processes.

$90 million was spent by MHMS, NDMO and MID in 2020. They used the disaster relief fund to spend on goods, services and works to support the response to the pandemic.

MHMS spent $26 million, MID – $14.9 million and NDMO – $49.5 million.

However, the report found that most of these spendings were made though “truncated procurement process”.

When the state of public emergency was declared on March 25, 2020, government’s normal procurement procedure was replaced by the use of Bid Waiver system – an alternative procurement system which was used in exceptional circumstances in which ‘observing the normal requirements would result in detriment to the people or assets of the Solomon Islands’.

The bill waiver system was abused. For example, some works were completed and paid for before the bill waiver was approved and contracts signed in ‘cart-before-horse’ style.

Since the tender process was absent, conflicts of interest were not declared. There was high risk of nepotism, wantok business and offering contracts to family members, relatives, friends or associates.

Bloated prices of goods and services popped up which ate away the covid-19 funds.

For example, $400 for one pillow and $130 for one blanket, provided to the national referral hospital (NRH), seen in an invoice of $99,500 dated May 25, 2020.

Documents were missing, which would have provided information to prove that public funds were well spent.

In many cases, documents show that amounts have been manipulated by hand. For example, a payment voucher made out for a $11,089 payment was manually changed to $110,089.

Some businesses which were not registered under the Company Haus were awarded contracts.

Imprest account system was abused. Close to $12 million was used up by way of imprest payment.

An imprest raised by the MHMS is the largest recorded at $225,900. This contradicts the rule of the imprest system, which is meant for ‘small, frequent payments that it is not practical or convenient to pay through Treasury’.

Transparency, accountability and inclusiveness was lacking.

The objectives of these audits were to assess whether these agencies managed covid-19 procurement in accordance with relevant laws, policies and regulations of Solomon Islands Government. These include the Public Financial Management Act 2013, the Interim Financial Instructions currently in force and the Solomon Islands Government Procurement and Contract Manual [PCAM].

In the thematic report Auditor General David Dennis said it is a consolidation of all three audits undertaken which are individually tabled to Parliament.

“Our assessment recognised some common themes across the three ministries which provided an opportunity for all ministries including Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT), to address these findings together in a consistent and sustainable manner and improve the level of internal control in Government procurements.

“Whilst the individual audit reports provide recommendations directed at the auditee, this thematic report focuses on suggested inputs from MoFT,” he said in the report.

However, Dennis said it is important to acknowledge the extraordinary circumstances created by covid-19 which heightened the inherent risk for expediting procurements and delivery of services at the expense of following established procedures.

“It is my view however that the existence of an urgent requirement should mean that controls are applied with urgency, and not discarded.

“The common themes include the lack of transparency and required documentation, including the inability to provide my office with full documentation to review transactions, indicating a major failure of accountability and this is an area that all Ministries need to address,” he said.

Dennis said there are also areas in which noncompliance, potential fraud and lack of accountability could together impact the efficient emergency procurements to deliver required and effective services expected during a crisis situation.

He hoped that the recommendations in the thematic report would assist the Government, in particular the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT), as well as the three ministries involved to strengthen their procurement processes both in emergency and normal operations.

All three ministries and MoFT have been provided with copies of the audits and offered the opportunity for further briefings and discussions with the OAG. 

“I intend to follow up on the findings and commitments made in response to our recommendations, through future audits of each of these Ministries.”

The OAG is one of the key accountability institutions established under the Solomon Islands Constitution which requires the Auditor General to audit and report on the public accounts of Solomon Islands, including all Ministries, offices, special funds, courts and authorities of the Government, and of the government of Honiara City and of all provincial governments.

Nurses found to be selling drugs: Gov’t

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
-
0
Chairperson for NHA and Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr Jimmie Rodgers.

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

Government has accused nurses of illegally selling medical drugs.

Secretary to the prime minister, Dr Jimmie Rodgers uttered this allegation during a press conference last week.

He also suggests that this alleged practice is caused by nurses’ low salaries.

“There are observations nurses selling drugs. They should not be selling drugs, that is illegal.

“If nurse were found selling drugs, it means drugs are coming from the National Medical Store and Government suppliers,” he said.

“The other reason is because maybe their earning is very low hence, they want to supplement it; but it is still wrong.

“They should not be selling because you might never know that you are selling good drugs but if you don’t know enough about it you could kill someone,” he said.

Rodgers said “for Solomon Islands, even the shops are selling drugs, but they are not supposed to sell drugs because the Pharmaceutical Benefits Act is very clear.

“Only pharmacies can sell and there are no other laws in this country, but then again because there is no much way of implementing these laws thus, people can buy medicine anywhere in town.

On the same note adds, a minor corrupt activity at the National Medical Store has been identified and has raised public concern. This is regarding NSD selling drugs to pharmacist.

“That said, the Ministry of Health is looking at ensuring whatever is bought for the public its management must be such that is accountable.

“There is no problem that NSD suppling for pharmacists because that provided for but it must be through a proper procurement process and must send money through Finances and through hidden accounts somewhere,” Rodgers said.

MEHRD starts notifying successful applicants for SIG scholarship awards

Written by
Ofani Eremae
-
0

BY NED GAGAHE

APPLICANTS or students who have applied for the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) scholarship for 2023 are being urged to log in their accounts on the Solomon Islands Tertiary Education and Skills Authority (SITESA) online portal.

In a latest statement yesterday posted on their Facebook page Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) advised candidates that they have now commenced notifying successful recipients on the online portal.

“Applicants or student who have applied are advised to log into their accounts on the SITESA online-portal.

“Successful recipients for the SIG Scholarship 2023 are currently been notified through the SITESA online portal.

“This notification is inclusive of the Awardees’ Conditional Offer and other notifications required for the facilitation to the next steps.

“Only successful applicants are being notified.” MEHRD said.

The prolong delay to release award have caused frustration to applicants who said that the most regional institutions have already kicked off lectures on 13th February.

The applicants said such delay will cause problem to them in terms of registration and aligning their offers with that of universities.

Meanwhile, the applicants have repeatedly called on SITESA to update them on the scholarship progress.

They said the SITESA website is one of the platforms which SITESA can use to communicate crucial updates about the status and progress of the scholarship awards.

However, the website was not updated since December 2022.

Policy statement next: Premier Fini

Written by
Samie Waikori
-
0
Premier of Malaita province, Hon Martin Gaote’e Fini.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

PREMIER of Malaita province Martin Fini says his government will immediately work on their policy statement after all have been sworn-in.

The premier told SunAuki yesterday they look forward to begin soon.

He said things will be unfolding and one of the very important aspects of any newly formed government is the swearing-in, for ministers to take their portfolios.

“Next after this is, we will sit-down together and begin to work on our policy statement.

“Once we finalise it, we will than declare to the public to aware of and work together on implementing it,” Fini said.

Fini does not rule out the possibility of adopting some of MARA’s [former Malaita provincial government] policies.

He adds, they will be look only at priority policies to take onboard into their new policy.

Fini said considering the short period of time they will lead the province; their focus will be on priority areas of development for the province. He said that above all, it’s about working together with donors, stakeholders and people of the province to move the province forward and realise its potentials.

PM Sogavare to attend special retreat in Fiji

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
-
0
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

By EDDIE OSIFELO

PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare will attend the Pacific Islands Forum Special Retreat in Fiji from February 22-24.

A well-placed source confirmed PM Sogavare will lead a small delegation to attend the meeting next week.

The Special Retreat came about after the 17 members of PIF, except Kiribati, adopted the Suva Agreement in Fiji last July, with the aim of working together to advance the interests of the Pacific.

Kiribati refused to attend after PIF failed to uphold the ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ to rotate the post of Secretary General.

If the leaders had followed the ‘gentlemen’s agreement’, the SG should come from any country of Micronesia.

Instead, the leaders voted Henry Puna from Cook Islands in Polynesia to be the SG.

This created a rift in the Forum, which the Micronesian countries have agreed to leave the Forum until the SG is given back to them.

Last July, PIF leaders met and adopted the Suva Agreement, even without the presence of Kiribati.

According to Island Times, the ratified Suva Agreement addressed the concerns raised by the Micronesian member countries that the regional body was not inclusive, that it wasn’t honouring agreements, the “gentlemen’s agreement” of rotating leadership of the organisation.

The conditions contained in the Suva Agreement included having the current Secretary-General Henry Puna serve the remaining year and half of his three-year term and for the Micronesian candidate to be appointed as the next SG. There will be two SG deputies, one from each of the two subregions not represented by the Secretary-General. Furthermore, the Office of Pacific Ocean Commission (OPOC) will be a separate office and will be based in Micronesia. Currently this position is also held by the PIF Secretary-General.

Lastly, there will be an in-country office for PIF to be opened also in Micronesia. These details will be discussed between the Micronesian Presidents.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Jeremiah Manale told media recently during the visit of PIF Secretary General, Henry Puna in Honiara, that the Special Leaders Retreat will give them some of the details in terms of implementing the Suva Agreement and also reflects on Japan’s proposal to release treated nuclear water into the ocean.

Japan is moving to start dumping the one million tonnes of treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the Pacific Ocean, in few months’ time.

This treated water was used to clean up the Fukushima plant after the nuclear accident that followed the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.

Manele said indeed much of our economy and livelihoods depend upon the resources within our ocean.

He said Solomon Islands welcomes further engagement with Japan on this matter to ensure all the necessary data and information needed to reassure Pacific countries that our ocean will not be affected in the slightest way, are obtained and scientifically verified.

“We are a region that has experienced first-hand the effects of the negative impacts of a nuclear testing legacy and it is our wish that such events do not repeat themselves.

“As a signatory to the 1985 Rarotonga Treaty, Solomon Islands remains supportive of a nuclear free region,” he said.

PIF SG Puna is expected to lead a delegation to meet with Japan’s Prime Minister on March 7 to urge him to at least defer the proposed discharge for as early as March or April.

STADIUM WORKERS PROTEST

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
-
0
The main stadium for the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara.

CCECC mysteriously drops wages of labourers at KGVI Pacific Games stadium project

By EDDIE OSIFELO

LOCAL workers engaged by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the Stadium Project staged a sit-in protest at King George Six Stadium yesterday morning.

This comes after CCECC published an article in the media recently that despite the undeniably harsh and inflation laden impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in all of CCECC’s works in the Solomon Islands, especially with the 2023 Pacific Games Project, CCECC undertook, in full compliance with its contractual obligations, to proceed with its ongoing projects in proactive manner, within and in full conformity with the Laws of the Solomon Islands.

The company said whether it be SI laws on Labour and Employment ensuring workers’ salary is paid in accordance with the current legislated minimum wage rates according to profession.

“We paid salary even more than the minimum allowed wage, with overtime pay for works done over the regular hours of work per day, and CCECC share to the workers’ contribution to the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund, plus food, transport, accommodation and other allowances paid very fortnight including personal or work protection equipment.”

However, one of the local workers said this is not true.

He said they found out their their minimum wages have dropped from $9 to $7 and $10 to $8.

“When we asked manager, Ben Wong, he did not want to explain to us,” the local worker said.

“We will continue to sit in protest until the company sort out our issues,” he added.

CCECC in Solomon Islands employs 500 local workers to work on the Stadium Project for the upcoming Pacific Games in Honiara, November.

The local workers range from technical, skilled, semi-skilled, to unskilled labourers and more on other ongoing projects.

According to CCECC, the current salary payout for the local workers every fortnight alone is almost SBD $1 million.

“This not limited to the fact that even during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2022, CCECC continued to employ local workers and provided accommodation with breakfast, lunch, and dinner to around 600-700 workers for the continuation and progress of the PG Stadium project,” CCEC said.

Sean Rii rocks at sold-out Canoe Bar

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
-
0
Dezine and Sean Rii performed live at Canoe Bar, Pacific Crown Hotel last Friday. Photo supplied.

By EDDIE OSIFELO

Dezine led by famous Solomon Islands music sensational, Sean Rii did not let the fans down at Canoe Bar, Pacific Crown Hotel, last Friday night.

This after they provided them with two hours non-stop island reggae music to celebrate the Valentine’s Day.

More than hundreds of fans turned out to pay the $60 entrance, $120 VIP and booked out the $700 Hotel room to listen and danced to the tunes of Sean Rii.

Sean Rii, backed up by Unik 7 Band, that represented the country at Fest Napuan in Vanuatu last October, put the crowd on their feet with his famous songs, Green leaf, Jealousy, Keli Hila, Tuff Tumas, Genina, Ageva, Harilakwalo, Sore, Gial, Joysie and Faithful love.

These songs had hit the airwaves in Papua New Guinea, Australia and other Pacific Island Countries.

Pacific Crown Hotel Events staff, Alex Waimora said the show was a success and one of its first indeed.

“We tried as much as possible to improve in many ways of our shows at the hotel and I believe the Valentine’s show we did excel and set a level which we must now look towards,” Waimora said.

He said the turn out was spectacular but also not surprising as they normally have such huge turnout to Canoe Bar considering they have sufficient space.

“I think what was special about the Valentine’s night was a lot of the people came to see Dezine and Sean Rii and I believe a lot of satisfied customers too,” he added.

Sean Rii acknowledges the fans during his show at Canoe Bar, Pacific Crown Hotel last Friday. Photo supplied.

Apart from that, Sean Rii acknowledged the fans for turning up in numbers to enjoy his show and an opportunity for his mum to watch him performed on stage for the first time in Honiara.

This after Sean Rii has spent most of his time performing abroad in PNG, Australia and other Pacific Island Countries.

He returned home after the covid 19.

“Iam in tears when I see Solomon Islands fans enjoying my music, something that makes me proud to be a native of the islands.

“Guys, it’s great to be back in Solo and performing for you all. Also, great, thanks to my mother, who is here as well, it’s the first time for my mom to watch me perform live on stage.” Sean Rii said.

PCH wish to thank everyone that attended to make the show possible and also Unik7 and Dezine and Sean Rii.

Increase of house break-in a concern

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
-
0
Honiara

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE increase of stealing in Honiara is concerning and Honiara residents are warned to look after their properties.

A concerned Honiara resident who was a victim of such robbery has called on responsible community leaders and parents to address the issue.

May Claire told this paper that she has been a victim twice and if this is continuing Honiara will not be a peaceful place to live.

“They go in groups and robbed people’s homes which is very serious and dangerous, those of us who resides in East Honiara are always victimised and we want the church leaders, police and even parents to work together and address the issue,” Ms Claire said.

She said it is time the government create any law to send people who are doing nothing in Honiara back to their provinces, to avoid such from happening.

She said the South Pacific Games is months away and such attitude and behaviour should be stopped.

“Communities and leaders must together to address such issues so that when our Pacific neighbours are here, they can enjoy without being robbed”, Ms Claire said.

1...683684685...1,726Page 684 of 1,726