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Thursday, July 27, 2006
After COA rap, Cebu City to adopt records system
By Rene H. Martel
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
Cebu City Hall will attempt “a fresh start” in recording its use of supplies and equipment and ensuring that all cash advances are liquidated on time, an official said yesterday.
To determine who should be held accountable, the City will verify a list of items that, according to a Commission on Audit (COA) report, could no longer be traced.
It will do this by conducting a “strenuous” physical inventory on all items, from staple wires to buildings and other infrastructure.
COA, in its 2005 annual audit report, said that over P325 million worth of supplies and properties could not be traced in the records.
“We want to do a cut-off, so we make a fresh start. Let’s say July 9 will be the cut-off date; that will be the beginning of the balance. Everything prior to that will be the subject of an investigation aron dili masagol (to avoid a mix-up),” said City Administrator Francisco Fernandez.
While City Hall is having a problem with inventories for supplies whose records can no longer be found, Fernandez also added: “I’d like to assure everybody that in the past few years, we’ve been doing well (in our records).”
Advances
Fernandez said COA has agreed to City Hall’s plan to set a cut-off date.
COA has reported unliquidated cash advances amounting to over P8.69 million, incurred by current and former City Hall employees.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña and former mayor Alvin Garcia are among those who still have outstanding balances, according to state auditors.
Osmeña has to account for P523,234.50, while Garcia still needs to explain where P455,771.23 went.
Fernandez said the City will have to establish whether or not all those listed have indeed liquidated the amounts released to them.
Those still working with City Hall will have to bear with deductions from their salaries, while officials may go to court against those no longer connected with the City Government.
Records
General Services Office (GSO) chief Ester Cubero said she was also advised that if there are items that could not be traced despite all efforts, she could ask Osmeña to write these off.
Cubero said it will take years for COA Manila to approve the request to write off those properties, but this will be the last resort if the items can’t be found.
Fernandez, however, said the City will not be content with setting its records straight.
All accountable persons, he added, will be made to pay. The City Attorney’s Office was asked to start an investigation.
The same goes for those responsible for the over-issuance of 21,013 liters of gasoline to leased multicabs, amounting to P636,069.
The GSO, according to COA, said most drivers do not know how to prepare the trip tickets and the multicabs consumed more fuel, being second-hand vehicles.
City Hall stopped leasing 50 multicabs from RDAK Transport Equipment last May 15.
Fernandez said the blame won’t fall on RDAK, whose duty was to provide the vehicles, but on the City, for issuing the excess gasoline.
Excess fuel
COA based its comment on the agreed ratio of 10 kilometers for every liter of fuel.
Cubero, in a separate interview, said that former Cebu City Transport Services chief Arcadio Oberes sent her a letter indicating that RDAK paid for excess fuel.
The amounts reported were P34,420 for 75 liters of fuel from January to May this year, and P21,724 for 40 liters in excess fuel from September to December last year.
As to unregistered City vehicles, Fernandez said the City has an agreement with COA, for City Hall to pay for the registration and the penalties imposed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7.
That is meant to expedite the registration of 589 vehicles.
The City will then investigate and identify those who should refund the City for the penalties.
COA has warned the City against paying the penalties itself, since these were incurred because of lapses of the personnel to whom the vehicles were assigned.
New system
Except for those used in emergencies like fire trucks and patrol cars, City Hall has withdrawn the gasoline allocation for unregistered vehicles.
Those using them have to justify before Fernandez why the City should restore their fuel allocations.
Cubero said she has been pressing for the full implementation of the New Government Accounting System for Local Government Units (LGUs), especially that the current officials simply “inherited their problems” in records-keeping.
The law, she added, has simplified accounting methods for LGUs.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 27, 2006 issue)
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