Burrowes calls for restructuring of City Treasury Department

Aug 01, 2009 News

Hands over inquiry report

The Commission of Inquiry into the operations of the Georgetown municipality has found the capital city is being run in breach of statutory requirements, with the sole commissioner, Keith Burrowes, endorsing a report of the Auditor General.
The Commission has found that 80 per cent of the regulations of the City Treasury Department is being observed in the breach. As a result, among his recommendations is the restructuring of the department.
The inquiry was largely commissioned to determine any culpability of Town Clerk, Beulah Williams, and City Treasurer Roderick Edinboro, after the Auditor General submitted a report to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, citing severe breaches of the statutory guidelines in the administration of the municipality, mainly the City Treasurer’s Department.
Williams and Edinboro were sent on leave in early July last year.
The Commission of Inquiry was set up after the Auditor General (AG) department submitted its report to the City Council. The AG Department found that records were not being properly maintained in the payment of wages and salaries, and that some officers were being paid in lieu of leave without the consent of the Council, among other concerns.
Burrowes, who carried out his inquiry with the help of an eight-member team, handed over his report to Minister of Local Government and Regional Development yesterday, but was not prepared to hand out his report to the media, or even the Mayor. Questioned, Burrowes said his recommendations had to be “accepted” by the Minister, who will then release the report.
However, in offering some findings of his inquiry, Burrowes found that the Council was in breach of the city’s by-laws in its operations. He also found fault with the fact that the structure that was devised to run the city when it had jurisdiction of but four square miles was not changed when the city was expanded to 15 square miles.
Burrowes and his team looked for irregularities identified in the AG report as it relates to the Town Clerk’s office, the office of the City Treasurer, loans to members of staff and others, advances on salaries, irregularities in rates and taxes, municipal bank accounts in commercial banks and restructuring municipal departments and operations.
The Auditor General investigation found that nine senior officers on the executive pay sheet were paid $1,371,171 in lieu of leave during 2007 and 2008. It said these payments should not have occurred since there was an existing policy that clearly stated that all leave earned should be taken within the year or be forfeited.
The approval of the council was not sought, as is the requirement if the need arises to pay in lieu of leave. The Town Clerk did not agree that the Council’s permission was necessary.
The Auditor General had also found that a number of officers were overpaid.
Burrowes expressed shock at some of his findings, citing the fact that some officers were not clear about their responsibilities and were therefore not functioning properly. Further, he said the Council needed to move away from the “departmental mode” as this does not help the smooth functioning of the municipality.
He said that there was no proper monitoring and evaluation system, to ensure that the Council was getting value for money when contracts are awarded for various services in the city.
Even more alarming, Burrowes found that the Council did not have a methodology for determining the unit costs of specific projects.
For example, he said the officers had no way of telling him how much it would cost to repair a mile of road, and that presents serious challenge for budgeting resources and following through with what is budgeted.
To ensure the city gets value for money, Burrowes has recommended the establishment of an Inspectorate Department.
To ensure a proper financial system, Burrowes said the Council should have annual audited financial statements by March, 2010.
However, the Commission found that despite the irregularities in the functioning of the Council, the Markets Department and the City Public Health Department were functioning properly and carrying out their stipulated responsibilities.
Burrowes ended his presentation of his report by stating that there was no political interference in the work of the Commission of Inquiry.

Latest News

Burrowes calls for restructuring of City Treasury Department

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Thomas’ hat-trick inspires D.C Caesar Fox 10-5 victory, as Annai...

Stabroek Ballers, Sparta Boss, Bent Street...

West Indies Falter in Disheartening Series Loss...

Trophy Stall hands over trophies for Kennard...

Omari Glasgow, carrying the hopes and dreams of a...

GCF eyeing growth across other regions in 2025...

Features/Columnists

The stakes are high in Guyana’s democracy

Let the asylum seekers go: a first step for Venezuela to rebuild relations in the Americas

A leader undresses in public

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Burrowes calls for restructuring of City Treasury Department

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]