The Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum has confirmed that audit observations have been done for the Help for Homes initiative.
Sayed‑Khaiyum highlighted this after he was asked by SODELPA MP Peceli Vosanibola to update Parliament whether a performance audit has been carried out on the efficacy and effectiveness of the Help for Homes Initiative.
The Minister says under the Audit Act, the Auditor General has the power to conduct the performance audit.
He says the Act also states that the performance audit is done for ongoing projects.
Sayed‑Khaiyum says in the Parliamentary paper 101, 2017, the Auditor General talked about the distribution anomalies of the Help for Home Initiative program.
He says it talks about various anomalies where people tried to pass themselves off as others.
Sayed‑Khaiyum says the Auditor General does says that this was carried out by the Ministry for Poverty Alleviation, however the Ministry of Economy also had an internal audit team that went around randomly checking people who have used this initiative.
When further questioned by SODELPA MP Salote Radrodro on why the calling of tenders and disbursement of funds was undertaken by the Ministry of Economy when the mandate was given to the Ministry of Women, Children Alleviation, Sayed‑Khaiyum says that for any major tenders that are called, it needs to go through the Fiji Procurement Office which is within the Ministry Of Economy.
SODELPA MP Niko Nawaikula then stated that the Auditor General does not have jurisdiction to conduct the audit and questioned the Minister if he can assure them that a total report of acquittals and anomalies will be tabled in parliament.
Sayed‑Khaiyum says that Nawaikula's question is premised on false basis.
Sayed Khaiyum says the Help for Homes initiative is a one off project under the natural disaster that took place after TC Winston in 2016, and is the largest initiative government has put in place in respect of helping people rebuild their home.
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