SINGAPORE: A PUB officer has been formally reprimanded and had his performance grade downgraded after altering documents relating to a biocide supply contract.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu told Parliament on 22 September that six other officers were also disciplined for lapses in contract supervision and stock management.
The disciplinary actions followed findings by the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO), which raised concerns about possible irregularities in PUB’s contract processes in its 9 September audit report.
Altered certificates of analysis
Fu was responding to a Parliamentary Question filed by Nadia Samdin, Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC, who asked the minister to provide details of its internal investigation that was conducted in relation to the irregularities discovered in PUB contracts, and what are the interim measures being taken to strengthen the governance process.
According to the AGO’s report for the financial year 2024–2025, discrepancies were detected between the soft and hard copies of certificates of analysis for a biocide supply contract.
Biocide is primarily used by PUB to control midges in reservoirs and waterways. The soft copies showed differences in version numbers, formats, and content, creating the impression that laboratory checks had been completed when they had not.
Fu said that PUB’s internal probe found a single officer responsible for the alterations, which were made to cover omissions in the original contractor documents.
She clarified that although the certificates were incomplete, the contents of the altered versions remained factually accurate.
Broader lapses in contract oversight
The AGO also flagged wider weaknesses in PUB’s contract management, including payments made despite incomplete documentation and inadequate monitoring of biocide stock levels.
PUB’s standard procedures require purchase orders to be raised when stock levels fall to a specific trigger point.
However, lapses in monitoring led to delayed procurement, forcing PUB to incur additional costs of around S$300,000 for urgent stock replenishment.
Fu explained that six officers were disciplined for failing to carry out required checks and for insufficient supervision to enforce contract requirements.
The AGO report also highlighted concerns over quotations submitted for 23 out of 25 star rate items under a construction contract for waterscape works.
These irregularities accounted for S$148,900, or 94 per cent of the total value of the items test-checked.
The AGO questioned the authenticity of the quotations and whether PUB had obtained value for money.
Fu told Parliament that PUB has reported the matter to the police for investigation into possible fraudulent practices.
She added that PUB reviewed other similar contracts but found no comparable irregularities. Disciplinary action will follow if police investigations uncover wrongdoing.
Gaps in water quality analyser maintenance
The AGO also noted weaknesses in the management of PUB’s maintenance contracts for water quality analysers at three private sector-operated plants.
While the plants installed their own analysers to monitor water quality, PUB added its own systems to verify the contractors’ readings.
However, issues included malfunctioning SMS alert systems and data transfer problems over a 12-month period.
Fu acknowledged that PUB had already been working on closing these gaps before the audit and has since extended existing contracts to cover the scope of work.
She assured Parliament that PUB conducts daily cross-checks with water sampling to ensure the safety of drinking water.
Enhancing training and automation
In her supplementary questions, Nadia Samdin asked whether refresher training and wider use of automation would be implemented across the agency.
She also questioned if projects under the contracts were affected.
Fu outlined several measures taken by PUB to strengthen governance in response to the AGO’s findings.
The agency has expanded its internal audits on procurement and contract management, including additional checks on star rates in contract variations.
PUB is also deploying digital tools, including artificial intelligence, to detect non-compliance and potential fraud.
Standard operating procedures have been tightened, requiring original certificates of analysis to be submitted, while manual monitoring processes are being automated where possible to reduce errors.
PUB has also confirmed that the quality of stocks previously received met contractual requirements, and warned that contractors who submit non-compliant documents will face penalties.
Fu said the agency will continue to share lessons from the audit findings with staff as part of training and internal communications.
Integrity versus human error
Jalan Besar GRC MP Shawn Loh distinguished between human error and deliberate falsification, asking whether PUB’s reprimand framework differentiates between the two.
Fu explained that investigations were still ongoing into irregular quotations for star rate items under waterscape works contracts.
The alteration of certificates of analysis was judged to be an error of judgement rather than a deliberate attempt to mislead, as the factual content remained intact.
She said the decision to issue a reprimand and downgrade the officer’s performance grade aligned with public service disciplinary guidelines, noting there was no financial loss or operational compromise from the alteration.
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