GOVERNMENT auditors have flagged three procurement transactions of the Gapan City government in 2021 for failure to adhere to the provisions of RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
The three projects were the P92.5 million purchase of 13,214 tablets for public secondary school students; the P87.95 million installation of fiber optic, closed-circuit TV cameras system and early warning system for the Central Command Center; and the P7.99 million upgrade and rehabilitation of roads and drainage canal.
Other than non-compliance with RA 9184, the audit team also said none of the transactions was backed by proof that a Pre-Procurement Conference was held to ensure that they were included in the Annual Procurement Plans (APP) as required by the Commission on Audit Circular No. 2012-001.
“The City did not strictly adhere to the pertinent provisions of R.A. No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, its IRR and COA Circular No. 2012-00. Furthermore, inconsistencies of information in the bidding documents cast doubt on the regularity of the transactions,” the COA said.
Among the deficiencies noted by the audit team were the absence of a notification letter from the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) secretariat to all participating bidders, lack of notification to losing bidders, the procurement activity and documents were not posted on the city government’s official website, and lack of certification from the head of the BAC secretariat that the notices of award have been posted in conspicuous places.
These are all mandatory under the Revised IRR of RA 9184.
“In effect, the above-cited lapses and deficiencies were not in accordance with pertinent provisions of the procurement law and its implementing rules,” the COA noted.
City officials involved in the transactions said they “overlooked the rules and regulations pertaining to the noted deficiencies.”
They added that the procurement activities were not posted on the city’s website because it was undergoing an upgrading at the time.
However, the audit team noted that the most recent invitations to bid were posted way in back 2016 and 2017. Likewise, the links on the said posts are no longer active.
What puzzled auditors regarding the P87.95 million equipment upgrade of the Central Command Center were the inconsistencies in the submitted documents.
The Bid Evaluation Report stated there was only one bidder and the Notice of Post-Qualification referred to a single calculated bid response.
