By Ben Rosario
Purchase by the Philippine Coconut Authority of some P1.660 million worth of corn seeds were found to be overpriced by at least 65 percent following an audit conducted by the Commission on Audit.
COA, in its 2017 annual audit report for the PCA, also noted wasteful use of fertilizers and supplies due to various faults blamed on the agency created primarily to promote the growth of the coconut and other palm oil industry in the country.
(PCA Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
In Regions VII, IX and X, state auditors found that various machinery and equipment distributed to coconut-based organizations and micro-small and medium enterprises for their respective livelihood projects “were either non-operational, idle or not fully utilized” due to inadequate evaluation of the project proposals.
ON the other hand, at least 1,320 bags of Wellgrow Organic Fertilizer purchased at P525,000 in Region X were destroyed due to improper storage.
Lack of storage also led to the pilferage and disappearance of 3,960 bags of coconut fertilizers in Region XIII, auditors lamented.
Irregularities in the purchase of corn seeds in 2017 were uncovered by auditors.
According to them the Approved Budget for the two contracts for the “supply, handling, transport and delivery of 1,428 kilos Yellow Corn seeds and 3,000 glutinous corn seeds” could not be determined using the prescribed procedures in the Government Procurement Policy Board –Generic Procurement Manual.
“Consequently, the ABC was disadvantageous to the government as it was 64.69 percent higher than the estimated prevailing prices of the corn seeds, with an estimated overprice of P1.073 million,” the audit report stated.
Audit examiners frowned upon the decision of the PCA regional offices to defer delivery of the supplies because this "might be prejudicial to the losing bidders” because change in delivery date prior to the opening of the bid, could “affect the bid tendered.”
To avoid similar overpricing incidents in the future, the COA recommended that PCA must consider purchasing similar goods and planting materials from government suppliers like the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry and the Department of Agrarian Reform.
“Consider procuring seeds/planting materials directly form Accredited Seed Growers of the BPI to maximize, with consideration to economy, the utilization of allocated budget,” the state audit agency stated.
In response, the management of PCA Region I-IV-B said additional costs were incurred due to the low volume of procured supplies.
The agency also stressed that delivery was deferred due to the lack of cold storage or facility where the supplies can be kept.
(PCA Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
In Regions VII, IX and X, state auditors found that various machinery and equipment distributed to coconut-based organizations and micro-small and medium enterprises for their respective livelihood projects “were either non-operational, idle or not fully utilized” due to inadequate evaluation of the project proposals.
ON the other hand, at least 1,320 bags of Wellgrow Organic Fertilizer purchased at P525,000 in Region X were destroyed due to improper storage.
Lack of storage also led to the pilferage and disappearance of 3,960 bags of coconut fertilizers in Region XIII, auditors lamented.
Irregularities in the purchase of corn seeds in 2017 were uncovered by auditors.
According to them the Approved Budget for the two contracts for the “supply, handling, transport and delivery of 1,428 kilos Yellow Corn seeds and 3,000 glutinous corn seeds” could not be determined using the prescribed procedures in the Government Procurement Policy Board –Generic Procurement Manual.
“Consequently, the ABC was disadvantageous to the government as it was 64.69 percent higher than the estimated prevailing prices of the corn seeds, with an estimated overprice of P1.073 million,” the audit report stated.
Audit examiners frowned upon the decision of the PCA regional offices to defer delivery of the supplies because this "might be prejudicial to the losing bidders” because change in delivery date prior to the opening of the bid, could “affect the bid tendered.”
To avoid similar overpricing incidents in the future, the COA recommended that PCA must consider purchasing similar goods and planting materials from government suppliers like the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry and the Department of Agrarian Reform.
“Consider procuring seeds/planting materials directly form Accredited Seed Growers of the BPI to maximize, with consideration to economy, the utilization of allocated budget,” the state audit agency stated.
In response, the management of PCA Region I-IV-B said additional costs were incurred due to the low volume of procured supplies.
The agency also stressed that delivery was deferred due to the lack of cold storage or facility where the supplies can be kept.