Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 28, 2017 News
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday engaged Regional Officials to address some of the findings illustrated in the Auditor General (AG)’s 2015 Report.
The report highlights several irregularities with regards to the functioning of some of the Finance and Works Committees within the Regions.
Chairman of the PAC, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Irfaan Ali, told the regional heads – in the presence of the Communities’ Minister, Ronald Bulkan – that based on observations thus far, the committee thought it “necessary and imperative” that the special meeting be held.
Present at the meeting also, were Commissioners of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC).
Ali, a former Minister under the People’s Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C), admitted that some of these issues are historical.
“Some of these issues are not only arising today; some of them are historical in nature. And it is time that we understand the seriousness of the work of the PAC and the recommendations of the Auditor general and we all work to improving public accountability and transparency.
“Over the course of the PAC’s work, there were a number of issues indentified: the Finance Committee of many regions is not functioning the way they are suppose to function in terms of their oversight responsibility of the finances, budgetary allocation in the various regions,” Ali said.
He continued that the PAC has advised the Auditor General in future audits, to look at these Committees and to see how they are functioning.
The Chairman said that the AG’s intervention is necessary since there are issues with regards to minutes portraying something contrary to the happenings of these Committees.
“The Minutes lack important information and the minutes are inadequate. We found this also at the Regional Tender Board level where some Regions could not even produce Tender Board minutes for some if their meetings where decisions made by the Tender Board are not even documented…These are serious breaches,”
Zeroing on the functioning of the Works Committee, Ali said that this too, was lacking in executing its responsibility of oversight.
“We had works paid for as per the bill of qualities and not by measured works where the auditor goes on the ground (and) there is difference between what is there in measured works and what you paid for. And in most cases, the contractors are overpaid.
We have payments for items under the preliminary bills which are not supplied or completed by the contractor. You have preliminary and contingency amount that are utilised and these services are never rendered by the contractors.”
The vocal Ali said that there exists the issue of substandard work and substandard materials.
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Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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“Some of these issues are not only arising today; some of them are historical in nature.”
A-aaa-nn-d yet they did nothing about it for remind me again, how many years?