Finding 576776 (2022-004)

Material Weakness
Requirement
A
Questioned Costs
$1
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-10-17

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: Some business applicants received grants without proper qualifications, including one applicant receiving two grants and others lacking evidence of damages or losses.
  • Impacted Requirements: Compliance with grant guidelines was not met, with issues in documentation for equipment purchases and incorrect grant calculations.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Review grant applications for proper qualifications, ensure documentation is complete, and verify calculations to prevent future discrepancies.

Finding Text

From a total of 1,484 SBF Program Recovery Grants (the grants) awarded to business applicants during the year ended June 30, 2022, in the amount of $64,654,049, we performed various compliance tests and noted the following situations: • During our audit procedures, we got knowledge that one (1) Business Applicant obtained two (2) grant awards in the aggregate amount of $96,630, under two different applications. • We selected a sample of 121 grants awarded in the total amount of $5,301,329, to verify if the Business Applicant qualifies for the grant award under physical damages or economic losses, as required by the program’s guidelines. We noted that in two (2) cases, representing 1.65% of the total sample, the Business Applicants did not support physical damages nor economic losses and consequently do not qualify for the grant award. Total grants awarded to these business applicants amounted in the aggregate to $66,308. • We selected a sample of sixty-six (66) grants awarded as follows: twenty-seven (27) grants awarded for working capital purposes and thirty-nine (39) grants awarded for the purchase of equipment, in the total amount of $2,839,563 and noted the following situations: - For the grants awarded for equipment, we reviewed the supporting documentation for required quotes and noted that in thirteen (13) cases, or 33%, some quotes provided by the Business Applicants did not have a date and in one (1) case, or 0.03%, the quotes provided by the Business Applicant did not have a date nor supplier name. - We recomputed the amount of the grant awarded, and noted that in three (3) cases, representing 5% of the total sample, the amount of award was computed incorrectly. The amount of over payment in the aggregate was $1,150. - We noted in one (1) case, representing 2% of the total sample, that the Bank did not require to the Business Applicant evidence about the percent (%) that represents the sales of alcohol of the total Business’ sales. From a total of 213 grants awarded for which closeout procedures were completed during the year ended June 30, 2022, in the amount of $9,522,108, we selected twenty-five (25) cases, in the total amount of $1,178,590, and noted in one (1) case, representing a 4% of the total sample, the required three (3) quotes were not obtained from the Business Applicant in the aggregate amount of $39,433.

Categories

Questioned Costs Procurement, Suspension & Debarment

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 332 2022-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 333 2022-003
    Material Weakness
  • 334 2022-004
    Material Weakness
  • 335 2022-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 336 2022-006
    - Repeat
  • 337 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat
  • 576774 2022-002
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 576775 2022-003
    Material Weakness
  • 576777 2022-005
    Material Weakness Repeat
  • 576778 2022-006
    - Repeat
  • 576779 2022-007
    Significant Deficiency Repeat

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
14.228 Community Development Block Grants/state's Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in Hawaii $67.49M