A US$66.6 million Oracle ERP (enterprise-resource-planning) project undertaken by Pennsylvania's Liquor Control Board has been marred by inflated costs, staffing woes and operational problems, according to a report by the state's auditor general.
The audit report was flagged this week by a Pennsylvania think tank, the Commonwealth Foundation, which espouses free-market principles and believes the stores should be privatized.
"Unfortunately [the Oracle system] was a waste of taxpayer money that failed to do what it set out to do," said Jay Ostrich, director of public affairs for the group. "It exposed why government has no business in business. It's only a symptom of a much sicker patient and the PLCB overall."
There seems to be strong public sentiment toward privatizing retail liquor stores in Pennsylvania. A recent poll by Quinnipiac University found that 69 percent of residents surveyed were in favor of such a move, and a legislative bill that would privatize the industry has been introduced.
If and when liquor sales go private in Pennsylvania, the Oracle system should be included in an auction of the PLCB's assets, Ostrich said.
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