By VOS Writer
Startling revelation in the 2022 Auditor General Report has exposed the Petroleum Regulatory Agency for bypassing recruitment processes and procedures in employing 17 workers at the Petroleum Regulatory Agency.
Following a review of the agency’s recruitment policies, the Auditor General’s observed that 17 employees were recruited at the said institution in the year under review without observance of the appropriate recruitment procedures in order to make the process open, competitive and transparent.
This was evidence by the fact that there were no relevant supporting documents like advertisement, application letters and invitation letters of the said employees to attend interviews to justify that the correct procedures were followed.
The Auditor, however, recommended for the Human Resource Manager to make available documentary evidence in support of the 17 personnel recruited, but the issue remained unresolved up to the completion of the audit exercise.
In addition, the Auditor General also observed certain key challenges at PRA including but not limited to the increase in the financial cost involved in the monitoring of the safety of petrol stations and their environments; inadequate facilities for the storage of petroleum products; there were few dealers of petroleum products in Freetown and none in the regions.
In lieu of the above, the Auditor recommended for the PRA Executive Chairman to address the aforementioned challenges in line with International best practice and ensure that evidence of such engagement be forwarded to the Audit Service Sierra Leone.
