The Ministry of Energy (MOE) has failed to submit procurement documents for inspection during an audit process with Audit Service Sierra Leone.
In reviewing the documents for the ECOWAS Emergency Electricity Supply Programme Grant to Sierra Leone, we observed that the Ministry signed five contracts with different suppliers for a total contract value of US$20,608,215.
Contrary to Section 32 (6) of the Public Procurement Act of 2016 and Section 36 (1) of the Audit Service Act of 2014. Apart from the agreement, the relevant procurement documents were not submitted for audit.
According to a list of the contract, US$6,008,215.93 was allocated for the supply and installation of transmission and distribution equipment, for maintenance of two units of Wartsilla engines and two units of Niigata engines US$3,500,000.00, for procurement and installation of prepaid meters US$2,350,000.00 and for procurement of fuel US$8,750,000.00 bringing it to a total of US$20,608,215.93.
It was the recommendation of the Auditor General that the Senior Procurement Officer should provide all procurement documents; failing which the matter will be reported to the relevant authorities for appropriate action.
The Ministry in their response said that according to pages 9 & 10 of the Grant Agreement (see copy attached), a procurement committee was formed to oversee the procurement process with one representative from the Ministry of Energy.
“Minutes of meetings of the said committee and other relevant documents relating to the procurement process are currently not available in the Ministry as the then National Power Authority provided the Secretariat. Requests have however been sent to the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) and the Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC) for the necessary documents.”
Despite the Auditor General’s recommendation, the procurement documents were not submitted for verification. “Therefore, the issue remains unresolved.”
ZJ/08/02/2021
By zainab.joaque@awokonewspaper.sl