ONLY 1,498 units under the Felda New Generation Housing Project (PGBF) were completed as of April 30, far short of the target of 20,000 homes built over five years from 2013.

The Auditor-General’s Report Series 2 2018 said this is among the findings of an audit conducted between March and June.

It said the targeted number of houses to be handed over to Felda folk is not met, and the ownership agreement for units already handed over has yet to be signed.

The report pointed out weaknesses in the project’s financial management, planning and appointment of contractors, among others.

It said the land ownership process for six PGBF sites with the certificate of completion and compliance has yet to be completed.

The audit found that all 37 PGBF contractors had started works soon after receiving the letter of acceptance, without first obtaining planning permission.

The report said monitoring of the project is “not effective”, pointing to the poor construction quality, land erosion issues and absence of security measures at several sites.

Among its recommendations are for Felda to ensure contractors are paid on time, conduct a feasibility study, boost due diligence and have officers with technical expertise conduct monitoring so as to not totally depend on consultants.

The Felda board of directors must also be transparent in its work, comply with government regulations and set up an internal committee to investigate non-compliance in the acquisition process, said the report.

PGBF, aimed at helping future Felda generations own affordable homes, was announced in Budget 2013.

The project, estimated to be worth RM1.5 million, involves 2,023ha of Felda land. – Bernama, December 2, 2019.