Two full tanks a minute apart: A-G’s report
(Bernama) – At 12.14pm on Dec 14 last year, a government-owned Proton Perdana filled up fuel worth RM113 at a petrol kiosk in Raub, Pahang, and a minute later the same vehicle filled up for RM112 at the same kiosk, according to the Auditor-General’s Report of 2008.
The same vehicle filled up at the same kiosk at 6.35pm and 6.36pm on Dec 19, for a total of RM225, the report says, adding that the same thing was repeated on Dec 23, 24, 26 and 31, for a total fuel cost of RM1,349.95.
The report cites the case as abuse of the indent card for procurement of fuel for government vehicles, and says an audit check revealed 24 cases of filling up of fuel in a period of less than five minutes involving five vehicles of the Pahang state secretariat.
The report says no action was taken against the authorities in the matter and, as a consequence, the state secretariat had to bear the high consumption cost of fuel.
It says the state secretariat informed that the matter would be resolved with the cooperation of the Pahang branch of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry by inspecting the system of fuel procurement applied by suppliers.
The audit department also found the maintenance cost of four Proton Perdana V6 Executive of the state secretariat to be excessive compared to the procurement cost of the vehicles.
For example, one of the vehicles, bought for RM117,062, had run up a maintenance cost of RM171,888 between 2005 and 2008 while another had a bill for RM192,743 between 2004 and 2008, the report says.
It says the feedback from the state secretariat was that the vehicles were used by state executive councillors and the maintenance cost was high due to faulty gear box and accidents.
The report says the maintenance cost of government vehicles in Perak was high because they were not sent to specified service centres, with a sample payment voucher showing the maintenance cost between 2004 and 2008 of RM262,256 for a Proton Perdana at a service centre compared to only RM15,197 at EON Service Sdn Bhd.
It says the state secretariat cited the need for speedy maintenance of the vehicles used by the state executive councillors.
The report cites abuse in the purchase of fuel as well as unreasonably frequent replacement of tyres of government vehicles in Penang, adding that the replacement of tyres in three to 34 months and for use between 1,700km and 21,900km for three vehicles was questionable.
Following this, the state secretariat requires replacement of tyres to have the approval of the principal assistant secretary (finance), it says.
