Explain advances, projects, Lapu told

UNLIQUIDATED cash advances amounting to P11.5 million in Lapu-Lapu City and the continued absence of tenants in the  Hoops Dome stadium and public terminal topped the list of red-flagged items by state auditors.

In a year-end report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said, Lapu-Lapu employees and officials failed to liquidate their local and foreign travels within a two-month period. Some of them were made in 1994 yet.

All cash advances have not been liquidated as of December last year.

The agency said demand letters should be issued to the officers requiring them to liquidate their expenses or else their salaries would be withheld.

Auditors also noted that the P6.9 million spent for performance enhancement incentives for City Hall employees exceeded a  P10,000 limit  for every employee.

In projects, auditors said the newly completed Hoops Dome and public terminal worth a total  P213.9 million remain unoccupied due to the absence of lighting, adequate jeepney routes and police personnel.

They urged the Lapu-Lapu City government to reduce rental rates and build light posts in the area to draw investors.

While city planning officials said the Hoops Dome is only for city-initiated activities, auditors said its use should be maximized to generate revenues.

COA also asked the Lapu-Lapu City government to explain the failure to submit for public bidding the security services detailed to the city hospital, market, slaughterhouse, terminal and Hoops Dome worth P3 million.

Also failing to undergo public bidding was the purchase of P2.4 million worth of electrical supplies, construction materials and equipment from Way In Trading.

Auditors said P2.5 million spent for rice, supplements and birth control pills were erroneously charged to the 20 percent Development Fund.

About P1.4 million were also misspent for overtime services, they said.

Auditors took Lapu-Lapu City Hall to task for mis-declaring agency assets for construction in progress at P415 million due to inclusion of completed projects worth P385 million that were not yet transferred to appropriate accounts.

City Hall likewise failed to deduct withholding taxes worth P2.5 million from the P14.2 million used as payment or hazard pay and other allowances to city hall employees, the COA added. Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya