Colombia’s comptroller general issues a warning to the governor of the Cordoba department for excess spending and irregularities in humanitarian aid to victims of this year’s winter flooding, W Radio reported Monday.
Comptroller General Sandra Morelli has ordered Governor Marta del Socorro Saenz of the Cordoba department to review the allocation of resources in a contract that was intended to serve the homeless in that region.
According to Comptroller General Sandra Morelli, Cordoba has seen a 39% excess in the costs of food and toiletry kits delivered to this region to help flood victims. The contract set out $8 million to be distributed over the course of two months, and was approved by the Chamber of Commerce of Monteria.
The comptroller general found marked differences in the costs of goods as recorded in the contracts and those for the goods which were actually included in the food kits and bathroom kits.
For example, a pound of rolled oats costs about $1.2 according to the contract, but the oats included in the food kits cost just $0.3 per pound.
Morelli also requested the Cordoba governor review the quality and origin of products, as many were apparently of Chinese origin and of poor quality.
The Comptroller General’s Office has asked the governor to take appropriate measures immediately to fix these problems in such a sensitive issue as humanitarian aid.
