COA tells MARINA to dispose of unused properties

CEBU, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) has instructed the officials of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) in Central Visayas to dispose its vehicles and some other properties worth P1.1 million that are no longer used by them.

COA said the Marina officials should quickly create a committee to conduct physical inventory of its all properties at least once a year.

Section 79 of the Government Accounting and Auditing Manual provides that when government property has become unserviceable for any cause or is no longer needed, it shall be destroyed in the presence of the state auditors.

But if the unserviceable properties are still valuable, it may be sold at a public auction to the highest bidder. In the event that the public auction fails, the property may be sold at a private sale at a price fixed by the committee.

COA learned that in Central Visayas, Marina owns P1, 109,226 worth of obsolete and unserviceable property awaiting final disposition. They also have other properties that are still serviceable but are no longer used.

The properties includes two units of Kia Ceres vehicles costing P682, 000 and a Suzuki Carry van which costs P231, 000. Both have been idle since 2006.

Other properties that can still be sold are office equipment worth P40, 455; furnitures and fixtures P22, 657 and some computers and its parts worth P133,114.

"The prolonged delay in disposing of these unserviceable and obsolete properties and equipment would cause further deterioration, thereby resulting in the diminishing of their economic value and sales price," the COA report stated. (FREEMAN)