The Auditor General’s Office has highlighted significant shortcomings in the services provided by the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, stating that its operations fail to meet key objectives. 

These findings were revealed in a performance audit covering the ministry’s activities between September 2021 and August 2022.

The audit report criticized the ministry for poor planning, weak systems, and an inability to modernize service delivery. 

It identified several systemic issues that have resulted in delays, inefficiencies, and potential misuse of resources.

Key Issues Identified:

1. System Control Failures: Problems with the road and marine vessel registration systems increase the risk of illegal vehicle registrations and system misuse.

2. Lack of Integration: The use of multiple, unintegrated systems necessitates excessive manual work, lengthening service delivery times.

3. Failed Modernization Efforts: The ministry’s attempts to modernize systems have not succeeded due to the absence of a long-term IT implementation strategy and robust maintenance methods.

The Auditor General's report revealed that out of 25,347 service applications (excluding road vehicle driving licenses) only 4,367 were processed within the stipulated timeframe.

The delays were attributed to incomplete documents submitted by applicants, the late provision of original documents, and insufficient staffing.

Additionally, technical issues with the ePortal system further hindered timely service delivery.

The report also disclosed that the ministry had spent MVR 2.2 million between 2018 and 2022 on hiring four IT consultants to manage its systems.

However, there was no oversight of the consultants’ administrative activities or documentation of system changes, raising concerns about the security and accountability of the Ministry’s IT infrastructure.

The report highlighted significant gaps in IT infrastructure and operational oversight, noting that these issues undermine the Ministry’s ability to provide efficient public services. 

The Auditor General urged immediate corrective action to address these challenges and improve service delivery.