Auditor General Investigating $208M in Payments Through Crown Bank for Pandemic Relief Program

Auditor General Examining $208 Million in Payments Processed by Crown Bank for Pandemic Relief Program

March 4, 2024 TruthUSA

The Auditor General is currently investigating over $208 million in payments processed through a Crown bank to oversee a pandemic relief program.

Export Development Canada (EDC) was tasked in 2020 with managing the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program, which provided $60,000 in interest-free loans to small businesses. The assignment was given to Accenture PLC without an open bidding process, a decision that was not disclosed by the cabinet or EDC.

“We have already initiated an inquiry into the program. Our intention is to make this information public by November,” Auditor General Karen Hogan informed the Public Accounts Committee as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

“There might be delays as we require financial data and information. The investigation is already in progress.”

According to documents presented in the Senate last May, Accenture’s fees amounted to $208,087,625. EDC President and CEO Mairead Lavery mentioned before the public accounts committee that 31 contracts were signed covering various activities that Accenture undertook during the launch of the CEBA program. She confirmed that no other contractors were invited to bid.

The Auditor General’s office stated that they are currently in the “planning phase” of investigating EDC.

Sole-Sourced Contracts

Conservative MP Arnold Viersen inquired Ms. Lavery during her testimony before the public accounts committee about the sole-sourcing of the contract to Accenture. Ms. Lavery affirmed that all 31 contracts with the company were sole-sourced.

Mr. Viersen questioned if it was common for all contracts to be sole-sourced.

“There were various aspects to the contract that were not foreseen initially,” Ms. Lavery responded. She also mentioned that EDC had a previous arrangement with Accenture on different matters before engaging them in the CEBA program.

Ms. Lavery explained that the costs of nearly $210 million included expenses for operating a call center that received up to 10,000 calls per day. “The call center was one of the activities performed by Accenture. At its peak, the call center received 10,000 calls daily,” she added.

Bloc Québécois MP Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné challenged the claim, expressing doubts about the daily call volume. When Sinclair-Desgagné inquired about the number of call center employees, Ms. Lavery mentioned there could be up to 150 of them.

Ms. Sinclair-Desgagné found the $208 million cost difficult to comprehend.

“I really can’t fathom how a government can launch a program during a pandemic, delegate it to an agency that then outsources it to a contractor,” she remarked. “I fail to understand why this company had to spend tens of millions to establish a call center and a website. It’s truly astonishing.”

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