A Crown bank, Export Development Canada, yesterday disclosed it paid a consultant more than $208 million to manage a pandemic loan program. Legislators at the time were not told of payments to Accenture PLC that run to 2024.

“Accenture has received $208,087,624.97 in contracts to administer the Canada Emergency Business Account including $71 million that Accenture will receive under the current contracts set to expire in January and February of 2024,” Export Development Canada wrote in a Senate tabling.

“Export Development Canada, a financial Crown corporation governed by a board of directors operating at arm’s length from the Government of Canada, made the full decision to contract and negotiate the contracts with Accenture related to the administration of the program,” it said. “Accenture provided staff augmentation and technology services not consultant advice.” The figures were disclosed at the request of Senator Yonah Martin (B.C.), Deputy Opposition Leader.