The Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts, this Sunday, decided to launch investigations into the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Tourism's compliance audit reports, over expenditure for the COVID-19 response.
According to a tweet published by Mohamed Nashiz, the committee's Chairperson and Parliament representative of Thaa Atoll's Kinbidhoo constituency, the two reports are tabled for the Public Account's Committee's session to scheduled for Monday.
Ministry of Tourism's audit report revealed that the ministry had spent over MVR 26 million on expenditures outside the ministry's mandate, from January 2020 till the end of June.
The report further disclosed that 99 percent of the ministry's expenditure was squandered in implementing the mandates of other institutions, which is a groundless practice.
Moreover, the report highlighted further issues, such as tourism ministry paying out MVR 7.9 million for the medical team of foreign experts who only worked for a month in the COVID-19 response, as well as signing over the contract to establish a quarantine facility in Vilivaru, Kaafu Atoll, without the bid committee's approval.
Overall, the cost of establishing a 30-bed isolation facility at Vilivaru was calculated at MVR 6.3 million. A figure of MVR 2.1 million was allocated directly for the construction effort while machinery costs were MVR 2.8 million. The ministry also spent MVR 1.1 million on furnishing the quarantine facility and securing equipment.
As per the audit, the government covered the cost of the facility before conducting necessary inspections.
The compliance audit on Ministry of Health's expenditure exposed that the agreement between the ministry and Dubai company Executors General Trading LLC to procure 75 ventilators contained foul play.
As per the report, MVR 34 million was transferred to the company for the ventilators, which the health ministry had claimed was being procured with the recommendation of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
While only 10 of the 75 ventilators have been procured so far, local media reports that none of these 10 ventilators fit the requirement for treating COVID-19 patients.
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