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Findings and recommendations of the Audit Service to the University of Cyprus

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Διαπιστoσει&sigma ; και συστασεις της Ελεγκτικorς Υ&pi ;ηρεσΙας προς το Πανεπιστorμιο Κy&pi ;ρου

The Audit Service with a multi-page special report for the years 2019 and 2020 makes findings and recommendations in relation to the good administration at the University of Cyprus.

In the most important findings of the audit, it is stated that the monitoring of the execution of the Budget is not done using the special program of the University's Financial Management System, but with the use of the electronic worksheet program (Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets), which presents weaknesses, adding that the Audit Service recommended that the specialized software program of the Financial Management System be implemented.

EY further reports that prior approval of the Council was not secured for transfers of Funds  between articles of the Budget that were made in 2019 and that recommended that the relevant approval of the Council be secured in advance.

He adds that a Joint Committee has not been set up to monitor the implementation of the provided Cooperation Agreements between the University and the Ministry of Health/State Health Services Organization (OKYpY). Also, in the Joint Committee that will be set up, a Member of the University's Faculty of Medicine will participate, a fact which will create a conflict of interest and as the University has requested from the OKYPY the establishment of a Joint Committee, as soon as possible, in in which a representative of the University participates, who will not provide the services of a University Doctor to OKYPY.

He observes that academics provided services as University Doctors, without being Members of the Pan-Cypriot Medical Association and/or registered in the General Health System (GESY) and recommended that the University Doctors meet the conditions specified in the Cooperation Agreement.

Recommends that the rate of additional remuneration for clinical work be reviewed and that the Partnership Agreement includes a report on measurable criteria for the clinical work that must be carried out annually by the University Physicians.

It further recommends that the registration of teaching hours in the Medical School System, in the System is done by an independent person.

Among the recommendations is how the University proceeds to investigate cases of possible commitment of disciplinary misconduct, according to the relevant Regulations.

Members of the University's Academic and Administrative Staff own shares or are Directors and/or Secretaries in private companies, possibly without securing relevant approval from the Council and without the University conducting conducting a disciplinary investigation, observes EY, adding that  recommended the investigation of whether approval has been secured and, where appropriate, the taking of measures.

It is also a recommendation of EY to set a maximum limit for accrued remuneration, from research programs and how the University implements a mechanism to record the actual teaching load.

In addition, it recommends how to follow the public holidays in force in the Public Service, as also happens in the case of licenses.

It is recommended that the University and the Ministry of Health and Welfare make the necessary amendments   to the Rule and Regulations, for the supernumerary positions respectively so that they are consistent with the Constitution.

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With regard to the leave without pay for a period of five years to a Professor, during his term in the European Parliament, EY states that the leave was granted despite the existence of legal opinions in which it is stated that it is incompatible for the Professor, with the simultaneous holding of a position at the University and the European Parliament.

The University illegally, as it seems, approved the extension of employment of a Professor for a total period of 11 years after the date of his retirement, he reports adding that he recommended that the University revoke the decision regarding the exceptional extension of employment and proceed with awarding the Professor of the title of Emeritus Professor.

He observes that during the period 8.8.2022 – 12.8.2022 and 22.8.2022 – 26.8.2022 the University applied the remote work measure, which in the public and wider public sector, ended on 15.5.2022. Also, in the first week of 2022, two working days were given to all administrative staff.

Regarding the construction of the building facilities of the Polytechnic School of the University of Cyprus,  ?of the University in the management of the Project, despite the fact that it has sufficiently staffed Technical Services with suitably qualified staff of all specialties noting that the time of the contract has been doubled.

He also found a significant delay in the construction of the building facilities of the Department of Biological Sciences and the Shared Teaching Spaces 03 of the University of Cyprus. He adds that based on today's data, the delay exceeds 12 months, with the possibility, if appropriate measures are not taken in time, to increase to 18 months.

For the construction of the building of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University, he found that the Contractor has submitted to the Project Engineer a number of letters/requests on various issues, with the intention of submitting requests for time extension, expressed concern  the untimely handling of the matter and requested that the relevant correspondence with the positions/locations of the Engineer and/or the Project Coordinator be submitted to EY.

For the relocation of the School of Architecture to the Faneromeni High School building in Nicosia, EY reports that it expressed its disagreement to entrust the work to the existing Contractor.

As regards the   Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the Minister of Finance, the former Archbishop of Cyprus, the Mayor of Nicosia and the Rector of the University of Cyprus, which provides, among other things, for the relocation of the School of Architecture to the building of the Faneromeni High School, the Audit Service. reservations as to the correctness of the decision to sign the said Memorandum.

EY further found that the University and the Consultant Researchers did not take the appropriate measures for the timely completion of the Project, the construction of the Center Information – Stelios Ioannou Library.

EY also lists a series of tenders for various supplies to the University for which it is awaiting a response

The multi-page special report is posted on the website of the Audit Service at http://www.audit.gov.cy/audit/audit.nsf/annualso_gr/annualso_gr?OpenForm

Source: www.reporter.com.cy

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