Office finds mismanagement in land project

By LUKE KAMA
THE design, governance and management of a K20 million Land Geographical Information Management System (Lagis) Project implemented by the Lands Department from 2008 to 2016 were not done properly, according to the Office of the Auditor General.
The office noted this when launching its performance audit report on the project in Port Moresby on Wednesday.
Assistant auditor-general Puva Heako, who is in charge of the project audits division, said unlike financial audits, the Auditor-General’s Office was also undertaking independent audits on government projects and those were extensive audits that looked at the entire project arrangement.
“Unlike financial audits, which we are entitled to undertake for agencies of state, we have a project audit division which undertakes audits on government projects,” Heako said.
“This audit is very extensive and it looks at the entire arrangement of the projects itself from the concept stage to deliver and completion and is an audit that looks at ascertaining the value for money in a particular project funded by the government.”
Heako said with respect to the Lagis project, there were some issues of deficiency and mismanagement being noted during the audits.
“The entire project itself was not done properly,” Heako said.
“The project cost the government around K20 million and there were issues of mismanagement and contract extensions not being done according to the Public Finance Management Act.
“It is all captured in the report which we have presented to Parliament to be tabled.”