COA urges LTO to probe persons behind P438-M vehicle inspection project

The Commission on Audit (COA) has called on the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to find and charge the officials behind the P438-million Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) project, which was implemented during the Arroyo administration.

The COA said the LTO purchased 11 sets of MVIS equipment in 2008 and 2009 worth  P209.4 million but all remained either idle, uninstalled or partially used, resulting to "wastage of public funds."

This finding was included in the 2017 audit report for the Road Board on the use of motor vehicle user's charge.

"We recommended that LTO Management conduct an investigation to identify the persons liable for the ineffective implementation of the MVIS project, which resulted in the wastage of government funds on the non-utilization of the MVIS equipment delivered in 2008 and 2009, and file the appropriate legal actions against erring personnel/persons, as warranted," COA said.

The MVIS project was intended to be a key component of LTO's Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (MVIC) through the use of emission testing equipment. It aims to ensure the growing number of motor vehicles plying the country's highways are environment-friendly.

The COA, however, said the MVIS project has yet to reach its full potential a decade later upon the procurement of emission testing equipment, which should have been purchased after the construction of inspection centers.

The commission further said the LTO can opt to conduct emission tests itself where it can reap revenues instead of allowing the operation of private emission testing centers.

"The project's objectives of improved air quality and reduced traffic accidents were not achieved, thereby, depriving road users of greater vehicle reliability and reduced running costs and resulting in lost income and wastage of government funds expended for the project caused by the non-utilization of the MVIS equipment to date," COA said.

The idle government resources were already flagged in previous audit reports, according to COA, but LTO has yet to implement the completion of MVIC buildings and the repair of defective equipment.

The COA directed LTO to evaluate how the government can recover its investment for the MVIS equipment.

The LTO is also told to request for funding for the completion of inspection centers and the installation of MVIS equipment, or seek funds for the replacement of equipment that are obsolete or beyond repair.

In response, the LTO management said its Sectoral Head Office has launched an evaluation on the possible revival of all MVIS projects nationwide.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had filed a bill in 2017 seeking the abolition of the Road Board in a bid to prevent the alleged misuse of the proceeds from the road users' tax collected by the government. —KBK, GMA News