Bureau okays 64 pct of projects

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 1, (KUNA): The Audit Bureau assessed 1,531 ventures worth KD 1.9 billion (USD 3.2 billion) between April 4 and Oct 31 this year. Up to 93 percent of the projects were presented by ministries and government departments - worth KD 1.7 billion - (USD three billion), in addition to five percent of the presented enterprises from departments of affiliate budgets - valued KD 1.2 million (USD three million), two percent of independent apparatuses - worth KD 43 (USD 138 million).

The bureau approved 64 percent of the projects, at a value of KD 1.2 billion (USD three billion), with advance and post contracting examination, said Shahad Al-Mnayess, the assistant auditor for advance supervision for economic affairs at the Audit Bureau in a statement on Sunday.

Contracts
he advance audit division at the Audit Bureau notified the Financial Breaches Department that some of the authorities had been committed to contracts without obtaining the bureau previous approval, breaching provisions 13 and 14 of the bureau law. It put number of these offenses at 28, valued KD 63 million (USD 203 million).

Moreover, the penalties’ division notified some of the authorities of their breaching of provision 52 of the same law, involving 13 projects worth KD 45 million (USD 145 million). It furthermore expressed concern that sums deducted from public funds might have have misappropriated. The diwan turned down 77 planned enterprises estimated at KD 230 million (USD 743 million), citing irregularities in pre-contract procedures.

The ministry of health had the lion’s share of these projects (40) valued at KD 142 million (USD 458 million). Additionally, the diwan rejected employment of personnel for security and safety at oil installations; with a projected cost of KD 2.5 million (USD 6.4 million). Up to 491 projects were rejected due to lack of necessary documents. The bureau noted that the advance supervision resulted in saving KD 52 million (USD 168 million).