Report reveals D1.3M differences in disbursement of overseas student relief package - CTV Africa
The 2020 audit
report on the government's Covid-19 response to the overseas student relief
package released by the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed that a difference
of D1, 380,186.08 was noted between funds received and recorded in the
embassies' cashbooks and payments made to students.
The government
of the Gambia through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA)
allocated 29.1 million Dalasi as a relief package to Gambian students studying
overseas who are not under The Gambia government scholarship.
As at the end
of September 2020, the audit report noted that D18,997,480.00 was disbursed to
The Gambia embassies in respect of the overseas student relief package, adding
that the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology
(MoHERST) is responsible for the administration of the payment to The Gambia
Embassies, who then disburse the entitled amount to the beneficiary students.
“Unconfirmed
Payments to Students Remittance to the tune of D1, 134,420 was received by the
Gambian Embassy in Algeria in respect of the Covid-19 relief package to Gambian
students in Algeria. However, there was no evidence of payment of the Covid-19 relief
package to students in Algeria. Embassies should ensure that disbursement of
funds received should only be used for the intended purpose,” NAO stated.
On the
eligibility criteria, the report further highlighted that no documented
guidelines or policies or eligibility criteria exist to guide the management of
support to overseas students. In some countries, the NAO report said students
on government scholarship received support allowance whilst students in other
countries did not receive the allowance.
“As such,
eligibility and selection criteria were not stipulated at the outset. Payment
of allowances to support students during the pandemic should not be carried out
without clear eligibility criteria.”
The NAO
concludes that based on the documentation and information obtained during the
audit, adequate and appropriate evidence was not presented by MoHESRT to
substantiate the proper identification of eligible students and the subsequent
payment of allowances.
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