COA: CHED failed to buy P1 billion worth of laptops for Smart Campus program amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) failed to buy P1 billion worth of mid-range laptops for the implementation of the Smart Campus Program, the Commission on Audit (COA) said.

In its annual audit report on CHED for 2021, state auditors said that CHED failed to buy 20,000 units of mid-range laptops funded under the Bayanihan 2 law because of the following reasons:

• poor if not deficient planning on the part of CHED
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• conflicting stance between CHED and the Department of Budget and Management's Procurement Service (DBM-PS) unit
• inconsistent view of the DBM-PS on whether to categorize the procurement project as non-common use supplies or equipment or common use supplies and equipment and
• non-compliance and/or incomplete compliance by both CHED and DBM-PS on their agreed obligations in the contract

"Despite the sufficient time from the passage of Republic Act No. 11494 (Bayanihan 2 law) on September 11, 2020 up to the last day of the validity of appropriation on June 30, 2021 counted at 283 calendar days, the procurement of 20,000 units of mid-range laptops did no materialize," COA said.

"As a result, the validity of the appropriation already lapsed and the goal of procuring the laptops did not materialize, depriving or limiting the access of faculty members of the SUCs to quality ICT equipment necessary in the effective delivery of flexible learning to students, especially during the difficult times of pandemic," it added.

COA then tasked CHED to strengthen its procurement proficiency through the conduct of judicious planning and monitoring of procurement milestones to ensure the efficient, timely and successful implementation of the procurement project.

Likewise, COA required the DBM-PS to revert the unspent P1 billion fund to National Treasury and requested the DBM-PS to submit the proof of remittance of the said P1 billion to the National Treasury.

In response to COA's findings, CHED said that the delay in the procurement of the laptops for the Smart Campus Program was because Bayanihan 2 law was only enacted in July 2020, henc, the procurement has not been included in the appropriations for Fiscal Year 2020.

In addition, CHED reasoned that the highest aggregate amount that CHED had procured only stood at P80 million as compared to the procurement for the program which is budgeted at P1 billion.

Ultimately, CHED passed the buck on the DBM-PS.

"Since the fund is with the DBM-PS, the CHED had thought that the DBM-PS would undertake the procurement. The DBM-PS consequently informed CHED that the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) will issue a new specification requirement for the purchase of laptops," CHED said.

"However, the DICT  failed  to provide  the technical  specifications  to CHED promptly. CHED tried to pursue the contract but they failed to procure it within the validity of the appropriation," CHED added.

But by and large, CHED said that its chairman Prospero de Vera already wrote a letter to the DBM-PS requesting the reversion of the Pl Billion including interest thereon to the National Treasury dated April 18 this year.

COA then said that last June 20, it receive the CHED's Order of Payment No. 2022-06-0853  dated June 14, 2022 and Official Receipt No. 7064096 dated June 14, 2022 issued by the Bureau of Treasury to the DBM-PS for the reversion of the Pl Billion unexpended balance for the acquisition of laptops for the implementation of the Smart Campus Program. -NB, GMA News