Bellavista municipality rented water tankers for more than S/1 million but failed to verify the service

Bellavista municipality spent S/1,333,800 on three water tankers to maintain the district’s green areas, but Peru’s Comptroller’s Office says it failed to properly verify whether the contracted service was being delivered.

The tankers were hired for 90 days because the municipality does not have its own vehicle fleet. The service was intended to support the maintenance, conservation and recovery of approximately 294,000 square meters of green areas across the district.

The control agency found that the municipality did not adequately check the vehicles’ entry and exit, compliance with technical and safety conditions, or the availability of alternate drivers and a standby vehicle. Daily monitoring also lacked a reliable information system, leaving the supervisor with data that was imprecise or overly general.

Inspectors identified several additional shortcomings. Some drivers lacked reflective vests, while vehicles did not have required equipment such as an air gauge, tow cable or functioning radio communications. On some tankers, front and rear warning lights were stored inside the cab rather than operating. Inspectors also found first-aid kits that were not fit for use and an extinguisher whose expiry date could not be seen.

Alternate drivers did not remain at the service location, and inspectors could not verify the standby vehicle because it was not at the municipality’s facilities. The Comptroller’s Office said the responsible department had not documented checks or demanded that the contractor correct the problems. It notified the municipal authorities so they could take preventive and corrective measures.