Over $66 million in payment vouchers still to be audited at GPHC

Oct 16, 2016 News

Vouchers valued at more than $66 million are yet to be presented by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to be audited. This is according to the Auditor General Report of the fiscal year ended 2015.
According to the Report which was recently laid in Parliament, 31 payment vouchers valued at $66.169M for 2014 were not presented for audit examination. “In the circumstance, the completeness, accuracy and validity of the payments could not be determined. In addition, it could not be determined whether all items paid for were received and properly brought to account in the records of the Corporation,” the Report outlined.
The hospital in response to this discovery of the Audit Office said that 29 vouchers totalling $56.851 million have since been located and efforts are continuing to locate two remaining vouchers valued at $9.319 million. But the Audit Office has recommended that the Corporation properly secure its records and present same for audit when requested and make efforts to locate the remaining two vouchers.
During the audit of the hospital it was also revealed that 21 expense vouchers valued at $5.565 million were presented for audit examination for the year 2014. Here, again it was noted by the Audit Office that the completeness, accuracy and validity of the payment could not be determined.
While the hospital has assured that efforts are on-going to locate the missing vouchers in this instance also, the Audit Officer has recommended that the Corporation renew its efforts to locate these vouchers and have them presented for all audit examination.
There were financial infractions detected at the GPHC. Among these was the breach of the provisions of sections 43 of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (2003). The Audit Officer revealed that this occurred when the Corporation failed to refund to the Consolidated Fund, 13 cheques valued at $19.941 million that were drawn on the Appropriation Account for 2015.
As such, the Appropriation Account would have been overstated by the said amount. The Report noted that at the time of audit inspection the cheques in questions were still on hand at the Corporation.
Meanwhile, it was revealed in the report that after more than three years a case of misappropriation of funds at the Public Hospital remains unsolved.
According to the Report, during 2013 there was an apparent misappropriation of sums amounting to $5.115 million. In this case a cashier acting alone and/or with persons unknown was considered a suspect. It was pointed out that the facility where employees’ personal cheques were en-cashed had contributed to the loss of cash.
The matter in question was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) through the Guyana Police Force. According to the Audit Report, the DPP advised that a thorough investigation be conducted into the matter by a Fraud Investigator.
In light of the fact that the matter remains unresolved, the Audit Office has recommended that the Corporation follow up with the DPP as it relates to the status of the matter.

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