There is need for accountability

Jul 27, 2010 Editorial

Accountability is the greatest measure of achievement; it is how people assess honesty, genuine labour and of course, forward planning. The aspect of honesty is judged when one examines the labour and finds it fitting for the expenditure; it is when lending agencies make money available for a project and they see that the project is well executed and at cost.
In cases where there is no accountability problems arise; there are charges of corruption and people are sometimes prosecuted. This is the case in neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago where some people are in jail awaiting trial because they failed to account for monies voted for the airport project.
There are others in various parts of the world who cannot account for many things, not least among them, how they earn their money. For example, in the United States where the investigators find it difficult to prove that the earnings are above board they simply look to see if the taxes were duly paid. If there are no corresponding taxes then the earner goes to jail on charges of tax evasion.
The need for accountability cannot be over-emphasised. In schools, teachers have to be accountable for the time they spend with the children. One measure of accountability would be the examinations. When children sit exams they are in fact being asked to test the teachers. There is the adage that a teacher has not taught until a child has learnt.
The child is the one who tests the accountability of the teacher because the teacher influences the performance of the child.
And so we come to the national level. There has been much talk about a procurement committee. This committee must examine details of proposed expenditure. It has the power to negate contracts if there is a weakness in some of the arrangements that do not allow or offer proper accountability. These days, there are numerous questions about things financial. In fact, each year that there is a budget presentation there are numerous queries. People question certain expenditures and as if that is not enough there is a parliamentary committee that examines the various accounts. Heads of departments and Government Ministers who preside over the economy are made to answer before this parliamentary committee.
More often than not the head of the parliamentary committee would say that many of the answers are incomplete. There are sometimes more questions than answers hence the issue of accountability arises. The floods of 2005 attracted funding from international agencies as well as from local private organisations.
Government then used this money not only to alleviate the flood situation but also to offer relief to some of the affected people and the farmers. Millions of dollars were distributed. However, to this day there has been no accountability of the expenditures. The nation is still awaiting information on how much money was contributed by the international community. And this is not for the want of the reporters seeking information. Five years have passed and there has been no accountability.
It is the same with accountability for Cricket World Cup. People have been trying to ascertain the takings or whether Guyana actually lost money hosting the event. We do know that the West Indies Cricket Board made some money available to the Guyana Government. However, the nation is still at sea.
People want to know how their money is spent and the government is accountable. Accountability is crucial in any area of national life. The church tells its membership that the members are accountable to a Supreme Being; the state holds people accountable for their actions; the government must hold itself accountable. But the wider society says that it does not.
Amazingly, this seems to be par for the course. The previous administration was accused of ignoring all the rules and regulations concerning public expenditure. This sparked charges of corruption. No one was ever prosecuted. The trend continues today and allegations of the government refusing to be accountable for public funds are again the norm.

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There is need for accountability

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