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Uncleared $172M advances for officials worrying

Mar 15, 2010 News


– AFC

Leader of the Alliance for Change, Raphael Trotman, is of the opinion that the loophole that exists in the Ministry of Finance as it relates to officials being given Conference Advances without accounting for monies already collected, is a cash cow avenue hence the fact that it is not being addressed.
Trotman is of the opinion that whilst it could not be said that the money is stolen, until it is accounted for then that inference could very well be drawn by people.
He said that it is clearly a classic example of unaccountability, and the figures to date could very well be far more than what was pointed out in the Auditor General’s Report, given the fact that the report under scrutiny was the 2006 version.
Trotman posited that despite the fact that this has been pointed out over the years by politicians, concerned Guyanese and the Auditor General among others, the loophole continues to linger.
When the Public Accounts Committee met in early February, the Finance Ministry officials present were unable to provide the information requested as it relates to $172M in unaccounted Conference Advances and as such were mandated to provide the information by February 15.
That order was not complied with.
Checks with the Committees Division of the Parliament of Guyana confirmed this but this newspaper was reliably informed that there has been an extension.
The matter is expected to come up for hearing again today when the Public Accounts Committee meets again.
On the date that the order was granted, the PAC was scrutinising the expenditures of the Finance Ministry when it was pointed out that on a yearly basis there are several advances made to officials for overseas trips but it is never attested to on the Ministry’s books upon their return.
According to the 2006 Auditor General report, “Conference Advances continued to be uncleared long after they have been granted.”
It was pointed out that at the time of that audit, in March 2007, there were 377 advances totaling $91.1M for the years 2003 to 2005 that remained uncleared.
During the period under review, namely 2006, according to the Conference Advances Register, amounts totaling $180.103M were expended on 287 overseas conferences and official visits, of which 131 advances totaling $57.603M remained outstanding at the time of reporting.
The following year’s report stated that the Conference Advances Register revealed that for 2007, there were 138 advances totaling $51.239M, which were still to be cleared.
This was compounded by the fact that 195 advances totaling $64.973M for the years 2004 to 2006 are still to be cleared.
The Ministry at that time had stated that while some of the recipients were tardy in clearing their advances, others had submitted documentation to clear their advances, but due to the Department’s staffing situation, there were delays.
It was further stated that the delinquent officers were written to, requesting them to submit documentation to clear their advances.

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