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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology overpaid P5.5M to suppliers in 2023 -- COA

Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology overpaid P5.5M to suppliers in 2023 -- COA

Published Mar 30, 2024 05:38 am

The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) on  P5.57 million “overpayments” to suppliers in 2023 due to the school’s failure to recoup the advances paid for mobilization fees.

In its annual audit report (AAR), COA said that mobilization fees are advance payments made to contractors to set up equipment and materials at the construction site before the commencement of the project.

It cited that under the Government Procurement Reform Act, Republic Act No. 9184, the advance payment should be repaid by the contractor by deducting 15 percent from its periodic progress payments to recover the advances.

In the case of NEUST, it said the school made advances to contractors amounting to P33.214 million as of Dec. 31, 2023.

“Post-audit of Disbursement Vouchers (DVs) revealed that payments made to contractors for progress billings did not include deduction for the recoupment of advances to contractors. Inquiry disclosed that the accounting personnel deducted the full amount of advances to contractors on final billing instead of deducting them in every progress payments. This practice was not in accordance with Sections 4.3 and 5.3 Annex E of RA No. 9184,” COA said.

Thus, it said, the amount of P4.717 million should have been deducted from the total amount of progress billings paid to the contractors. The failure to deduct resulted in the total over payment by P4.717 million, it also said.

At the same time, COA said there was an unaccounted beginning balance totaling P0.854 million booked in the Advances to Contractors account, which has not been recouped since 2018, and it resulted in overpayment of P5.572 million as of Dec. 31, 2023.

It recommended that the university accountant should deduct the P4.717 million that should have been recouped from the next progress billing of the contractors.

It also said the school should exert extra effort to trace the original transactions of the unaccounted balance of P0.854 million to determine proper disposition and cause adjustments, if warranted.

 

 

 

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