Subject: The Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico issues a favorable opinion with exceptions on the fiscal operations of the Southwest Local Workforce Development Area. The ALDL is made up of the municipalities of Cabo Rojo, Guánica, Guayanilla, Hormigueros, Lajas, Maricao, Peñuelas, Sabana Grande, San Germán and Yauco.
The Report reveals that as of December 2015, the ALDL owed $103,351 to the Department of the Treasury for the income tax withheld from employees and for the 7% withholding at source for services rendered. This debt with the Treasury included $28,757 of principal, and $74,594 for interest, surcharges and penalties.
The six-finding audit notes that goods and services were acquired for $17,003 without obtaining quotations from at least three suppliers, two purchases for $10,476 were paid in which the brand name was included in the quotation request, and specific clauses that would protect the ALDL were not included in six contracts totaling $210,904. These clauses are indispensable for carrying out sound and efficient public administration.
Our auditors identified multiple deficiencies in the disbursement vouchers, 41% of the participants of the activities for displaced workers could not be identified –for an interview– and the lack of effective oversight by the Internal Audit Unit. From 2012 to 2015, Internal Audit did not comply with the Audit Plan nor did they issue Reports.
The audit comments that as of December 31, 2015, the ALDL had not recovered the sum of $1 million, which it was recommended to recover in Reports M-06-18 of 2006, M-10-02 of 2010 and M-14-16 of 2014.
The Report covers the period from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2015.
See Audit Report M-17-31.
To view other published reports, visit our Audit Reports section.
Some documents on this page are saved in PDF format.
To view these documents, you must have the following free program installed.
