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Public officers mislead PAC on employment practices
Region Ten officials attending the PAC meeting
The bi-partisan Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned public officers who provide misleading answers during their appearances.
Officials of the Region Ten Democratic Council were the latest culprits when the PAC sought to ascertain information about the hiring of staff to fill vacancies for junior and senior teachers.
The regional team which was led by Regional Executive Officer, Orrin Gordon, told the PAC that some 32 vacancies were advertised for head teachers in 2016, but he could not provide information detailing the numbers which were hired.
Since some of the regional officials, including the Regional Executive Officer, were recently appointed to their respective posts, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence indicated that they could not indicate that they are vacancies advertised by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) is not a matter of fact.
“You cannot answer questions on information that you do not have. What the Chairman (Irfaan Ali) is stressing is that the answers being given not by only yourself, but also other public officers are misleading to PAC.
“We have to be asking you ten questions to get one answer; that is not acceptable to all of you,” the Minister stated.
She stated that public officers must provide answers as accurately based on evidence.
“That is what auditing is about; evidence. Not assumption. If you have the answers you give it; if you don’t have the answer you state it. Don’t give two and three answers,” the Minister stated.
PAC members have been paying close attention to the hiring practices in the regions. There have been instances where regional officials have not been advertising vacancies.
PAC member, Juan Edghill, expressed concerns about the flawed hiring practices.
“We are discovering cases in large portions where they are hiring people without advertising,” he noted.
He added, “It means that I could get my family and friends and political supporters to write an application to an institution even before a vacancy exists. This Government is hiring people without advertising vacancies contrary to their own policy where they said they will reduce contract employees and put everybody on the fixed establishments.”
The PAC is moving to implement a system where accounting officers will be required to take an oath when they appear before the committee to be questioned about Government funds.
According to Ali, from time to time, the committee has been encountering difficulties where accounting officers deviate from the wholesomeness of answers. They change their answers when pressed in different corners.
“The oath will remind accounting officers and all those who are giving evidence before the PAC. It would remind them of the seriousness of the information that they are presenting,” Ali stated.
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