Parliamentary PAC

Apr 22, 2022 Editorial

Kaieteur News – “PAC will be unable to scrutinise government spending before elections …slow pace of work, quorum changes; a disservice to citizens” (KN April 21). Words and postures along those lines were what came from the current chair of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) about has been done to it, and where it is heading. In view of what is going on with the PAC, it is now undeniable that the Parliamentary PAC amounts to nothing but a pack of cards in the hands of a pack of political problem children. We deliberately use children as a substitute for ‘people’ since the arrangements and intentions are so blatant, and so self-serving that they cannot have adult ownership.
We begin by revisiting briefly what has happened with the PAC in recent times. The first blow was the PPP/C Government’s rejection of a motion to increase the number of weekly meetings of the PAC from one to two. The reasoning submitted of members having other business to attend to, and portfolios to manage, was not well-received. It was seen for what it was, which was to give sufficient time to examine spending under the previous APNU coalition government only. When the once-weekly PAC meeting, usually moving at a slow crawl, would only have enough time to review the prior government spendings, the backlogs continue, with the same back and forth rigmaroles between the PPP/C and APNU on full display.

The PPP/C Government took that first step to protect itself, when it shuffled the PAC pack (once a week meeting only) to suit its twisted visions over highly likely corrupt practices under its watch and by the millions and billions. It made sure the cards stayed as they were to allow as many corruptions as possible involving Guyanese taxpayers’ money to be brought to light and hammered at for public consumption, and the usual political gain. As has surfaced before the PAC, there were many corrupt practices during the coalition administration, and which is now par for the course under every government (PPP/C or PNC, it doesn’t matter).
Knowing what it knows about the skullduggeries of its own agents, usually with winks and nods, and free passes, from its leaders, the Government has no reason, and nothing positive to gain, by permitting time and creating space for scrutiny of its own spending of fantastic sums, and lots of it in cash.

Thus, in an effort to make doubly sure that the opportunity is not available for any PAC scrutiny of its own spending the PPP/C Government, specifically its Machiavellian manipulators and arrangers, came up with this quorum idea, its latest two-headed beast of a quorum change. One head is to keep a close watch on the opposition-chaired PAC so that it stays in its lane, and within the speed limit; while the other head is to watch out so that nothing and no one gets too close to the PPP/C’s tricks and shenanigans, which must be protected at all costs prior to the elections in the making, already a foregone conclusion as to outcome.
To cheer when it is due, even when the perverse could very well be part of the quorum manoeuvre, it is a stroke of the devil to drum up something like this. All members of the PAC quorum must be present, which means that all members from both political sides must be in attendance for any meeting to proceed.

The PPP/C Government now properly and openly proud of its sharp handiwork, duly deployed its sorcery machinery to posture about fairness to all sides, and no group being unaccounted for, or left to harbour feelings of being disadvantaged. How we wish that that same standard would be in operation in other areas of governance now in top gear. We offer transparencies that merit the meaning of the word, and consultations of depth and substance, on matters that have much meaning for the future of this society.
What is clear is that when the PAC pack is shuffled and played around with like this, then the spending sprees and related corruptions continue unchecked. Just as clearly, the PAC becomes a deck packed with political jesters and expensive jokes where spending is concerned.