Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 14, 2009 News
Auditor General’s revelations…
– Corbin
The findings in the latest Auditor General’s Report are not surprising and amply illustrate that the culture of unaccountability emanates from the very top of the hierarchy in the current ruling administration, said the People’s National Congress Reform.
Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Robert Corbin, said that the government seems to be unmoved by these kinds of exposures to the populace.
He said that in any other country the government would have had to resign, given that this was not a one time occurrence; given that in each of the reports there are brazen acts of improprieties as it relates to the spending of taxpayers dollars, by those that have been entrusted to do so.
According to Corbin, there was very little that could be done to curb this behaviour by the administration, other than that massive protesting exercise among others, given that they seem immune to being exposed to the populace for their wrongdoings.
Corbin noted however that “ultimately the decision was up to the people of Guyana at the elections.”
The Auditor General of Guyana (ag), Deodat Sharma, on Friday, presented the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, with a copy of the completed 2007 report.
It was however pointed out that problems highlighted in previous Auditor General reports, have reoccurred in the latest report that was laid in the National Assembly.
According to Sharma, the Contingency Fund is still being abused; there are still overpayments on contracts, missing vouchers, “old bank accounts not being closed as yet, especially those big overdrafts that continue.”
He said that the proceeds from the lotto company are still not paid into contingency fund; and those funds are still being abused.
The report was delayed this year because of the staff constraints at the Audit Office. However, Mr Sharma promised to present the 2008 report by December.
Sharma also stated that the first value for money audit will be handed over come next month.
Following the handing over of the report, the Speaker of the National Assembly will lay the report in the National Assembly and will become public information, after which the Public Accounts Committee meets and scrutinise the report.
The committee is currently scrutinising the 2006 report, which was replete with questionably scenarios at the various Ministries.
The 2006 report was used by the opposition to accuse the government of massive corruption, adding that the report was evidence of such corruption.
The Auditor General’s Report for 2006, highlighted breaches of the Procurement Act, as well as the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act.
The Opposition parties have long been calling for the Audit Office to be outfitted with its full staff complement. They have also been calling for the appointment of Deodat Sharma to the substantive post of Auditor General, rather than to have him remain acting.
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