Ashni Singh needs to adhere to recommendations

Jan 26, 2014 News 0

– PAC Chairman

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, (PAC) Carl Greenidge, has firmly asserted that if Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh does not comply with the decisions and recommendations of the Committee then it will not approve the monies he would be asking for.

Carl Greenidge

Greenidge, who also serves in the capacity of Shadow Minister of Finance of the political opposition faction, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), stated that there is widespread concern over the unacceptably low standards to which financial management has deteriorated. “These decisions are to safeguard hard-earned financial resources and to ensure accountability in their use, not to mention their cost-effective and efficient deployment.”
The Chairman stated that since the Committee outlined a number of recommendations and made several decisions, only some of them were adhered to by the Minister of Finance.
The level of compliance on the part of the Minister, Greenidge said, was in some cases induced by withholding the approval for monies.
He said, “It was only in these cases that Dr. Singh listened to some of the decisions. It was only until he was backed into a corner that he listened.”
Greenidge also stressed that the Minister of Finance needs to comply more with the decisions of the Committee and not wait for them to resort to actions such as not approving the money they would ask for.
“For example, we made certain recommendations and decisions with regard to the 2013 budget and when they were not adhered to, we withheld money and they complied. Some of those very decisions have not been complied with and we will continue to monitor and examine the budget to ensure government complies. We will continue to do what is necessary until the minister understands that he needs to comply.”