Sabaragamuwa University’s financial loss incurred due to book supplier to be investigated
View(s):The Education Ministry is conducting an investigation into the financial loss of more than Rs 12 million incurred by the Sabaragamuwa University due to an incident where a supplier with no prior experience had been selected to supply books to the university’s library.
The books delivered by the chosen supplier were mostly found to be used books or books that did not match the subject curriculum. Many books had been purchased at prices higher than the minimum prices available in the international market for both old and new books.
An investigation into the matter has been launched on the recommendation of Parliament’s Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).
The books had been purchased under an Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan through which the Science and Technology Human Resource Development (STHRD) Project procured library books for the university’s Faculty of Technology in 2021. The procurement had been conducted in violation of government procurement guidelines and a supplier with no prior experience had been chosen to supply the books, the Auditor General has noted in the 2023 Annual Report of the Sabaragamuwa University, which was recently tabled in Parliament.
The Auditor General has revealed that out of the total procurement, 421 units of 118 book types, worth Rs 20,200,200 (76% of the total procurement value) were purchased. Among these, 114 units of 33 book types, worth Rs 7,596,400, were used books. 179 units of 69 book types, worth Rs 6,922,982, did not match subject curriculum.
The procurement resulted in a financial loss of Rs 12,116,310 due to the purchase of 227 units of 63 book types at prices higher than the minimum prices available in the international market for both old and new books, the Auditor General observed.
In addition to the Education Ministry’s investigation, the Sabaragamuwa University too has commissioned an external independent reviewer to conduct a formal independent investigation. (SJ)
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