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Delay in issuing Treasury Memorandum illustrates Minister’s contempt
…clarification to be sought in Parliament shortly – Lawrence
Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee Volda Lawrence says that the extended delay in the issuing of the most recent Treasury Memorandum, clearly illustrates the contemptuous nature of the Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh.
A Treasury Memorandum is the document that is issued by the Finance Minister in response to a report by the Public Accounts Committee when they have finished reviewing an Auditor General Report and it details how the breaches outlined will be corrected.
Lawrence said that it is worrying that the document has not been presented as yet and while she has seen the order paper for the next sitting of the National Assembly, she will in her absentia send in a question to clarify why it is late and when could it be expected.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, had recently told this newspaper that the action to be taken by budget agencies such as Office of the President as it relates to compliance with recommendations coming out of the Public Accounts Committee reports will be outlined in a Treasury Memorandum.
Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee Volda Lawrence
Dr Luncheon was at the time responding to a query about several discrepancies outlined by the Auditor General’s report.
Some of the discrepancies were identified as being perpetrated by Office of the President. For example, there was the non-compliance of the law on the proceeds from the Lotto Funds.
The Head of the Presidential Secretariat said that there is a fascination with stakeholders as it relates to the findings of the Auditor General but said that there is a process that has to be followed.
He explained that after the Auditor General’s Report is tabled, it is made available to the Public Accounts Committee which scrutinizes the report and makes various recommendations in a report to the House.
This, Dr Luncheon said, has to be approved in the House and following this a Treasury Memorandum will follow within 90 days.
This document will outline what action, if any, will be taken to comply with the recommendations.
The last report (based on the 2004 and 2005 AG’s report) of the Public Accounts Committee was presented to the House by the Chairperson of that Committee on February 15, last. It was approved by the House on March 11. The Treasury Memorandum was supposed to have been tabled by June 9.
Dr Ashni Singh
The Treasury Memorandum is now late by some 33 days.
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