Projects falling under the EcoGozo programme not only “experienced long delays” but were not covered by good governance rules, the Auditor General said.
The National Audit Office found that proper checks and balances were completely missing and procurement rules were not followed. It said there was a weak structure at the EcoGozo directorate within the Gozo Ministry, no independent verifications were conducted on the quality of material supplied for the projects and segregation of duties was absent.
The Auditor General noted that the architect responsible to issue calls for tenders most of the time also acted as project supervisor and project leader and also as the person certifying his own supervision. “This hinders transparency and increases the risk of abuse”, the NAO said.
It also found lack of compliance with tender requirements, with ministry officials often allowing contractors to do as they pleased.
“Performance guarantees were expired or overlooked, no copies of insurance policies regarding projects were found and limited verification was done of the quality and quantity of materials used in projects,” the Audit Office said.
The audit found continued delays in finalising projects
The audit, covering the works under the EcoGozo programme during 2014, also found “continual delays in finalising projects”.
It listed examples of some of the projects it looked into.
The €1.4 million tender with the successful contractor for the Child Development Centre, in Victoria was signed on the eve of the general election, on March 8, 2013.
According to the contract, works were expected to be finalised by September 2014. A year later, the NAO found that the project was not yet finalised and commissioned because, according to a ministry official, the provision of electricity from the substation by Enemalta was still pending.
A tender for the installation of PV panels at Taċ-Ċawla housing estate was awarded in November 2014 at a cost of €113,674. Al-though the project had to be completed in 14 weeks, the ministry agreed on a 22-week extension.
One of the main problems encountered was that during the installation phase of the PVs it transpired that part of the estate’s roof was private property forcing the ministry to redesign part of the installation. A tender was issued for landscaping and maintenance works at Ta’ Isopu, limits of Nadur, valued at €38,345.
The conditions were published before Mepa issued a permit. The NAO said this should not have been done, because “the situation could have easily triggered a number of variations to the original tender, if not total disbandment”.
Although part of the project consisted in the building of new rubble walls without the use of mortar, the NAO found that concrete was used.