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Aug 02, 2018 News
Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs has written to Parliamentarians regarding how they treat with public officers who appear periodically before Parliamentary Committees.
Isaacs noted that the Parliamentary Committees, including the Sectoral Committees, do not have the power to discipline public officials.
However, he noted that where there are breaches and acts of disobedience, Committees may detail the breaches in their reports to the National Assembly and recommend that disciplinary action be taken against the public officers.
In recent months, committees have complained about the lack of preparedness by public officials to provide timely information and, in some cases, to provide answers to questions.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has sent away Regional Executive Officers (REO) and their teams for failing to properly answer questions relating to concerns over expenditure practices detailed in the Auditor General’s report.
Some regions have been sent away twice and at times, MPs from both the Government and the Opposition have lamented their frustration in getting accurate information from the public officers.
The PAC has ordered an investigation into the actions by Region Five REO, Ovid Morrison, who is accused of not cooperating with the AG’s office.
In the case of the PAC, Isaacs outlined that if it is a financial breach, it could be recommended that the Finance Secretary take disciplinary action.
Isaacs noted that in the case of contract offices, the recommendation for disciplinary action should be directed to the respective Permanent Secretary, and in the case of the Permanent Secretary, the recommendation should be made to the head of the Public Service or the head of the Presidential Secretariat.
“Committees may recommend, in their reports, that breaches and/or acts of disobedience, et cetera, by public officers be sanctioned by the Service Commission which is responsible for their appointment, promotion and discipline,” Isaacs stated.
The Clerk told MPs that he could find nothing in the Standing Orders and other parliamentary texts to prevent Committees from making the recommendations in their reports to the National Assembly.
Kaieteur News understands that public officers have complained about the way they are being treated when they appear before the Parliamentary Committees.
In addition to disciplinary action, Isaacs also told MPs that it is ‘important to note’ that they must be polite in their dealings with public officers.
“In the same vein, public officers must also display the appropriate courtesy in their dealings with Members of Parliament,” Isaacs noted.
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