IT has been established that all guest houses belonging to BOST lack maintenance work according to the 2020 Auditor-General’s Report.
The report said a visit to Mami Water depot identified that the facility has not been operational since June 2010 due to a lack of maintenance works.
They also noted that the Board of Governors did not approve six essential policy documents for the Company.
The reports said ‘’Our interactions with the Head of ICT disclosed that the BOST has not registered with the Data Protection Commission as a Data controller. We urged Management to as a matter of urgency take the necessary steps to register with the Data Protection Commission as a data controller and consequently appoint a data supervisor to ensure data is protected from unauthorized use’’.
The reports, however, advised the Management to conduct a structural integrity test on the buildings and take action on the outcome to make them habitable, recommended the Management to impress on the Board to approve the policy documents for its immediate implementation, and also expedite action on the maintenance works for the depot to be operational.
Reckless Payment
Further part of the reports noted that the Management of BOST has paid twenty-four (24) staff who were on secondment for more than a year a total amount of GH¢6,611,240.97 contrary to the Collective Bargaining Agreement of BOST.
Also, the Management paid an amount of GH¢151,987.00 covering 41 months. This payment was in respect of half salary paid to an interdicted staff.
Additionally, the Management seconded 10 staff members to unrelated institutions contrary to the Collective Bargaining Agreement of BOST, which the report recommended to Management to justify their action and immediately recall the staff concerned or cease payment of their salaries.
It added that two contract works with a total contract sum of GH¢6,582,731.55 were abandoned, which the Management has been tasked to make funds available to the contractors, to enable them to complete the projects.
The Management as captured in the report also did not occupy an administrative block completed and handed over accordingly by the contractor at a contract sum of GH¢1,785,419.60.
Furthermore, there were construction works on the Head Office Complex, and seven other contracts with a total contract sum of GH¢43,454,345.00 were unduly delayed.
The report further recommended to the Management to ensure that funds and other needed resources are committed towards the completion of the delayed projects.
BY Daniel Bampoe