COA sees inefficient fund use in regions

The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out regional offices of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for slow implementation of disaster-related projects and inefficient use of funds.

In its December 2017 audit report on disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) funds, the COA said the DA’s Western Visayas field office spent some P2.23 million of Typhoon “Yolanda” funds on unrelated projects.

The inefficient use of funds meant for rehabilitation and recovery programs of the DA in the region “defeated the purpose for which the funds were intended and resulted in the doubtful propriety and validity of the transactions,” the report said.

The audit office also called out the DA Eastern Visayas field office for failing to properly use P954 million in DRRM funds allocated to it.

Of the P954 million worth of DRRM funds, only P12.7 million was used, with the rest of the amount unspent.

The DA Eastern Visayas office also had unrecorded expenses amounting to P23.79 million that were booked as surplus due to delay in submission of liquidation reports.

The COA asked the DA Western Visayas office to explain in writing why funds were spent on projects not related to rehabilitation and recovery of Yolanda-hit areas.

In the same report, the COA questioned the DPWH’s Bicol office for low implementation rate of projects. Of 184 disaster-related projects in Bicol, only 83 had been implemented in 2016.