The Auditor General’s annual report for 2022 revealed on Tuesday significant deficiencies in the use of business credit cards and fuel cards by Laval city employees.
According to a press release from the Office of the Auditor General of Laval (BVG), auditor Véronique Boily concluded that the policies and procedures governing the use of credit cards and the costs reimbursed to employees “were not implemented.” Date” and that they were not aligned with “the strategic goals in terms of sustainable mobility”.
She pointed out that there is no upper limit for reimbursement of accommodation costs. In some cases, the high cost of accommodation does not reflect the desire to save money that is expected when managing public funds, said Ms. Boily. He made ten recommendations, all of which were accepted.
Additionally, the value of credit card purchases has increased significantly over the past decade, from around $80,000 in 2012 to over $1.1 million in 2022. This is due in part to the growth of online commerce. The number of active cards also increased by more than 25% between 2020 and 2022.
“Lack of rigor”
As for gas, the late payment of the gas card balance cost $17,000 “without the situation being addressed,” as we explained in the press release.
This is due to the inaction of the city, which “did not carry out monitoring activities and take appropriate corrective measures,” emphasized Véronique Boily, who made six recommendations on the subject.
She added that the administration of fuel cards “lacks accuracy.”
In 2022, a total of $2.1 million worth of fuel cards were purchased. As of June 2022, 336 active cards were associated with a police vehicle and 106 were associated with the fire department.
According to the BVG, the implementation rate of the Court of Auditors’ recommendations has declined in recent years. Before 2018 it was over 85%, while in the audits carried out four years earlier in 2022 it was 67%.