The Auditor General’s Office has uncovered potential financial mismanagement and irregularities within the Fuvahmulah City Council. Concerns were raised over the procurement of a three-wheeled truck and discrepancies in financial records.
According to the audit report, the Council spent an alarming MVR 227,900 on acquiring a three-wheeled truck, exposing potential irregularities in the authority’s financial activities. The report highlighted that the agreement between the Council and Coral Holdings and Investment Private Limited, the vehicle supplier, lacked proper documentation and specifications.
The procurement process itself was called into question as the information sheet provided did not contain adequate details. Furthermore, the report revealed that the Council incurred an additional MVR 194,900 to procure an electric vehicle (EV) pickup instead of the specified three-wheeled truck, leading to financial implications and concerns over adherence to procurement protocols.
Furthermore, the audit report exposed the Council’s failure to collect outstanding payments from multiple parties, amounting to MVR 2,265,046 as of December 31, 2022, raising questions about the Council’s financial oversight and debt collection practices.
Notably, the report also highlighted that state revenue totalling MVR 870,355, as of December 31, 2022, had yet to be deposited into the Public Account as required, further compounding concerns about the Council’s financial management.