At least P2.2 billion from Disbursement Acceleration Program and regular funds spent for various government tourism projects remain unaccounted for by the Department of Tourism, the Commission on Audit has disclosed.
In the 2013 annual audit report for DOT, COA has also called for the filing of appropriate criminal charges against tourism officials who have continued to fail to settle audit disallowances amounting to P183,353,999.11.
COA said a big portion of the disallowed disbursements pertain to unliquidated travelling expenses, daily subsistence allowance for foreign travel and financial assistance granted to non-government organizations.
The COA report disclosed that of the un-liquidated fund of about P2 billion, a total of P1,631,269,607.83 represented funds transferred to the Department of Public Works and Highways and the National Parks Development Committee.
The two agencies were entrusted with the money to finance infrastructure projects during the year.
Under a memorandum of agreement between the DOT and the NPDC, both agencies agreed to be responsible in ensuring that the pertinent laws in the use of the funds are “duly complied with.”
Projects funded from the transfer were the Convergence Program in Enhancing Tourist Access that was implemented by the DPWH and the Kilometer Zero National Monument Hardscape and Softscape Redevelopment Project.
A total of P1,777,226,000 was transferred to the DPWH but only P145,956,392 was justified, leaving an un liquidated balance of P1,631,269,607.83.
The NPDC took a P207 million fund transferred to it and has yet to liquidate the full spent amount.
“We recommended and management agreed to make representations with the concerned DPWH officials and direct the NPDC executive director for the monthly/complete submission of the liquidation documents for the transferred funds,” COA said.
A discrepancy amounting to P332,995 million in the liquidation of DAP fund transfers has been noted by COA auditors.
State audit examiners said that the DOT received a total of P1,777,000,000 in DAP funds to implement the Convergence Program in Enhancing Tourist Access in 2012.
Manila Bulletin
