UK envoy lauds Govt.’s approach to financial transparency, accountability

Feb 22, 2017 News

British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn says that since the coalition government took office, he is pleased with the measures taken to ensure financial transparency and accountability.

President, David Granger

He made this comment yesterday during an interview with this publication.
Asked if there were other areas he believes that the government could improve on as it relates to transparency and accountability, the High Commissioner said he has not given any thought to that specific matter.
“But I have said before that on the whole concept of transparency and accountability, everyone in every administration should be as transparent as they possibly can. Only on those issues relating to national security should there be any justification to not be transparent.”
He reminded that this has been supported by President David Granger.
Since the APNU+AFC administration took office, a number of steps have been taken to put a dent in corruption. The Government established a State Asset Recovery Unit, which will soon become Guyana’s anti-corruption agency. It also made considerable moves to root out corruption and bribery in the forestry sector. This, however, was not without contributing effects on the declining production figures of the sector.
There has also been the launch of over 40 forensic audits, so as to identify areas of abuses which took place under the previous administration and to ensure that measures are implemented to avoid repetition.
After many years, the Government also succeeded in establishing the long awaited Public Procurement Commission. But be that as it may, the APNU+AFC administration continues to face harsh criticisms that it is not moving as swiftly as it should in the fight against corruption.
However, the Alliance For Change (AFC) holds a different view. In fact, the party insists that in a period of 20 months, the coalition administration has been able to put a “significant dent” in corruption.
At the level of ministries and other government agencies, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson was the first to contend that there have been meaningful improvements in the fight against corruption.
Speaking for his Ministry, Patterson said he had the “good fortune” to be in charge of an area that is susceptible to fraud. And within 18 months, the General Secretary of the AFC was proud to disclose that the opportunities for corruption to occur have been reduced considerably. While no one can claim that corruption has been eliminated altogether, the Public Infrastructure Minister stated that moves have been made to get the process started.
The AFC General Secretary also stated that every report of wrongdoing in his field or against his staff is always investigated without fear or favour.
Offering similar remarks was Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes. Hughes told Kaieteur News that the administration is committed to the process of reducing corruption in Guyana.
She emphasized however that the task is not an overnight one, as corruption has become a culture in Guyana. In this regard, the Executive Member of the AFC said that the coalition administration has been focusing on ensuring that ministries and agencies have the necessary checks and balances to reduce all forms of corruption. Hughes said, too, that the importance and significance of taking such an action cannot be emphasized enough.
At the level of state, Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan believes that there have been major improvements in the fight against corruption. In this regard, he pointed to the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission.
The Minister of Public Security expressed, “We have done what everyone should be proud of when it comes to ensuring that this big anti-corruption institution called the Public Procurement Commission came into being in the second year of our being in office. It took how long for us to get it? Almost a whole decade and more, and this is in spite of the fact that the Constitution made provision for it.”
The AFC Leader also chided the previous Cabinet that was run by the PPP for such a constitutional office not being established. He said that it was the Cabinet of former President Bharrat Jagdeo that set the tone for all other cabinets under the PPP to never give up that no-objection role in the public procurement process.
He said, “We have been clamouring for that while in opposition…And having it today is a far, far, cry from what we have come from.” (Kiana Wilburg)

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