AG's report reveals that container shipment not cleared for 253 days due to oversight

The Ministry of Economy has stated to the Auditor General’s Office that it is putting in place strategies to ensure that there is no delay in clearing goods from the wharf.

This is after the audit by the Auditor General’s Office noted in 2016 that a container shipment consigned for the Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Services via Suva wharf remained uncleared by the Fiji Procurement Office for 253 days due to an oversight.

The report says that the Ministry had to pay $48,984 for the uncleared item.

The Ministry of Economy says that the bond checking has been reintroduced whereby stakeholders and shipping agents’ permission are requested for warehouses to be physically inspected for any pending government consignments that need to be cleared.

The Ministry says currently the process is for Ministries and Departments to advise of inbound consignments upon receipt of arrival notice which was not the case in this instance.

It says the agency’s advice was received 76 days later upon follow up from the shipping agent hence the delay should not be attributed to the negligence of officers involved.