The Recoleta Cultural Center does not control its Association of Friends
<p style="line-height: 20.8px;">According to the Audit of the City of Buenos Aires, they lack documentation on the income the Cooperative received in 2008 for advertising and contributions from the public, and there is a difference of almost $ 100 thousand in expenses. Instead of planning purchases, the organization used petty cash assets. Weaknesses were detected in the fire system.</p>
A report by the Auditor General of the City of Buenos Aires (AGCBA, for its acronym in Spanish) indicates that the Recoleta Cultural Center "does not exercise adequate control" over the activities of their Association of Friends, an organization that was formed in 1991 and accompanies the projects organization.
The Watchdog noted, first, that no documentation supporting the income recognized in 2008 by the Cooperative in terms of advertising and public donations was found. On the other hand, there is a "lack of reliable monthly data" of the Association. It is that the Friends of Recoleta informed the Centre that in that year they had expenses for $ 185,226, "while in the balance sheet for that item (expenses) there is, an amount for $ 280,592."
It also does not match the values in the balance sheet and the payment receipts issued by the Association of Friends in the "fee-courses and workshops." According to AGCBA, which adopted its report last year, the receipts of the Association indicate that they perceived $46,828 for that item, but in the balance sheet the income is a total of $ 37,154.
The Audit added that the Buenos Aires Association of Friends committed a "breach of Article 13 of ordinance 35,514" to co-manage actions manifested by the signing of agreements and collection of activities that are characteristic of the cultural complex. The rule in question states that "the cooperative association does not have any interference in the organization and functioning of the body with whom it collaborates.”
Moreover, the AGCBA highlights the "lack of planning (Recoleta) in the purchase of supplies and services, evidenced in the use of the system of common and special girls to purchase goods sustained and foreseeable boxes." The report illustrates that the Cultural Center twice hired the same freight company "when the value of one of those operations (more than $ 30 thousand) have been entitled to use procurement procedures under the Procurement Law" of the City.
As for the security of the complex, located in Junin 1930, auditors found five different fire detection mechanisms, "none of which have someone guarding it 24 hours", and, at night, "no staff remains, making it difficult to detect if the system is triggered." In addition, there are several portable fire extinguishers "with expired charges" and in at least half of the fire niches "the lack of any evidence of proper operation (nozzles, lance, wheel wrench or hoses) is checked" specifies the report. There is more: a short circuit in the room Cronopios caused several fire sensors to be "disabled." The water supply of Recoleta, meanwhile, is shared with the Buenos Aires Design, which holds the keys for cutting the tank: "This produces a total dependence of supply and, to an event unilaterally, the Center may run out of water," says the AGCBA. With this scenario, the full report "throughout the establishment is not able to verify the existence of an Evacuation Plan."
The resort also has installed a security camera system, "but could not ascertain who controls the monitor or if the images are stored."
Being
In the Recoleta there are eight rooms, each with a capacity for two people, which provide accommodation for visiting artists and cultural management linked to the City Government. The service is called Being and, in 2008, the value of the bed was $ 30 a single and $ 50 double. The Audit found there "discretion in the price charged for the stay"; It is that there were differential rates "with no established criteria" (different amounts or the use of foreign currencies, for example); no documentation supporting longer stay, as was the case of a guest who stayed for three consecutive months.
The AGCBA added that there are no coincidences in the collection of Being: while documents state that in 2008, $ 47,995 was the total income, but according to the Association of Friends it was $ 27,809, and the balance of the same entity sheds $ 24,169.
This "lack of rigor in the management of the agency" had already been observed in other Audit reports of the Audit of the City of Buenos Aires in 2004 and 2005.
