PETALING JAYA: Upgrade and repair works on the Parliament building overshot the completion target by nine years, says the Auditor-General in the Report 2021 Series 1.
The Auditor-General added that the cost ceiling went up from RM520mil to RM626.10mil.
According to the Audit report, the project was to be implemented in several phases.
"This project has exceeded the completion target of six years. The first phase started in 2011 and (the project will now take) 14 years to complete with the last phase expected to be completed by 2025 instead of 2016," said the Auditor-General.
It said the temporary housing block and the MPs' and administration block had yet to reach optimum usage levels.
It also found that the conservation works on the main block and maintaining the design of the heritage facade on the new building did not receive any written comment or approval from the National Heritage Department.
A total of 171 variation orders and 126 contract price adjustments resulted in an increase of contract prices to RM447.4mil, noted the report.
The project's cost ceiling also increased by RM106.10mil, from RM520mil to RM626.10mil, to cover the scope of work variation for phases 2B and 2C, explained the audit report.
"Value management which was implemented in 2012 was less effective and unable to control the cost and implementation duration of the project," it said.
There were also delays of between 14 and 90 days to complete the original addendum to the supply of furniture contracts, it said.
"There were no fines and penalty clauses in the furniture supplier's contract to safeguard the interests of the government," added the audit report.
It suggested that the Public Works Department needed to ensure comprehensive governance and effective monitoring to see that the project is successfully implemented and will achieve its objectives.
In response, the department noted that work for the final phase started on July 14 last year and is expected to be completed by Jan 8, 2025.
