Might 1, 2025
The reset will embody division administrators will not have P-cards issued to permit them to give attention to approving purchases.
Richmond, Virginia, Mayor Danny Avula introduced the town’s procurement card program, also called the p-card program, shall be paused and known as for a “reset” after accusations of abuse, 6 Information Richmond reported.
In an announcement, Avula, the town’s first immigrant and Indian mayor, stated the variety of metropolis p-cards shall be diminished by greater than 80%, from 320 to roughly 60, by Might 9. Because the p-cards are generally known as bank cards for workers to make smaller and environment friendly purchases, the mayor stated the subsequent few months shall be used to reset and evaluate after stories revealed areas of program weak point, together with examples of alleged waste, fraud, and abuse. “P-cards are a greatest observe, however Richmond’s p-card program wants a reset. So, as we speak, I’m turning off the overwhelming majority of p-cards and inserting new buying restrictions on the remaining playing cards,” Avula stated.
“We’ll take the subsequent few months to reassess, retool, and reboot this system in an efficient method that basically serves Richmonders.”
Outcomes from a 2024 investigation by a Richmond authorities watchdog company highlighted that the town’s then-Normal Registrar and his division had been cited with 25 counts of waste, fraud, and abuse. It additionally discovered that just about $500,000 in public funds was wasted via purchases that violated metropolis insurance policies.
A Richmond spokesperson revealed that the one allowed purchases must be these the place public well being, security, and demanding providers can be disrupted if not allowed, or the place no different fee strategies exist.
“The reset will final at the very least 60 to 90 days throughout which the Division of Procurement Companies (DPS) will redesign after which relaunch the p-card program,” the assertion continued.
Metropolis leaders, together with 4th District Councilmember Sarah Abubaker, celebrated Avula’s actions, however hope that’s not the place it ends. “Right here we’re form of in response to one thing occurring versus proactively pondering via what accountability and transparency appear to be,” she stated, based on 12 On Your Facet.
“There’s no accountability. If we’re not punishing folks for fraudulent use of p-cards, and we’re not giving correct coaching or punishing the individuals who truly do the oversight of the p-card system and approve these, then it’s simply form of a reset of the identical system.”
Town’s Division of Procurement Companies, underneath the management of Rene Almaraz, employed the Institute for Public Procurement to evaluate this system and supply a report. Almarez stated the staff is “completely dedicated to creating probably the most environment friendly procurement p-card program doable.”
Different reset adjustments embody the prohibition of Amazon purchases, besides mission-critical meals gadgets or citizen-supporting packages corresponding to summer season meals packages or after-school packages. Division administrators will even not problem p-cards, permitting them to give attention to approving purchases.
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