A deeper investigation will be conducted regarding the procurement of goods and services linked to the 52nd Asian Development Bank Annual General Meeting in 2019, focusing on potential material mismanagement within the Ministry of Civil Services.
During a parliamentary session, Esrom Immanuel, Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, proposed a motion to discuss the review of a special investigation report on this procurement issue related to the ADB meeting.
The Ministry of Civil Service was tasked with organizing the international event, which brought together over 3,000 participants from 76 countries. As the host nation, the previous government allocated $10 million for the event, but the total expenditure reached $10.9 million, raising concerns about fiscal transparency and management.
The Assistant Minister for Finance pointed out that the Auditor General’s report, serving as the foundation for the investigation, flag several serious issues, including indications of fraud, disregard for financial regulations, and potential conflicts of interest in vendor selections.
He shared that key findings showed sufficient audit evidence hinting at fraudulent activity in some payments. Immanuel highlighted that the investigation found delays in processing contracts for the event and noted inefficiencies in fund management.
He conveyed the necessity of the investigation and subsequent reforms but criticized the significant delay in reporting, with the findings completed in December 2020 but only presented to Parliament in May 2023.
Immanuel underscored the need for ongoing scrutiny to avert future mismanagement of public funds. Additionally, Speaker Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu invoked Standing Order 20 to refer this matter to the public accounts sub-committee for further investigation and is now awaiting their report.