Considerations of 2016 Auditor General report by PAC… Ministry requests ill-prepared REOs appearance be suspended; Opposition objects

Jul 05, 2018 News

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The Opposition is objecting to moves by the Ministry of Communities to suspend the appearance of regional officials before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) during the ongoing considerations of the 2016 Auditor General Report.
According to the ministry, it is clear that the regional officials have been ill-prepared.
A number of Regional Executive Officers has been ejected from PAC’s meetings after refusing or being unable to answer questions about spending and procurement procedures involving State funds.
While PACs meetings and the questions have been nothing new, since 2015 the examinations of the Auditor General’s annual reports have taken new significance, with a watchful Opposition asking hard questions.
REOs and others accustomed to buying time or giving flimsy excuses have been finding themselves in trouble, with members of PAC, from both sides of the House, showing intolerance.
On Tuesday, Opposition Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill, released a letter that the Ministry of Communities sent to Irfaan Ali, Chairman of PAC, on June 26th, 2018.
According to the letter captioned, “Suspension of Regional Democratic Councils’ Appearance Before the Public Accounts Committee”, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Emil Mc Garrel said that they are requesting the committee’s consideration to suspend examination of the 2016 Auditor General Report for the remaining Regional Democratic Councils to allow for better preparations by regional officials.
Members of PAC comprise both Government and Oppositions parliamentarians.
“While the ministry is desirous of seeing this process through expeditiously, we are constrained to take this course of action due to the recent unsatisfactory level of performance before the PAC. This time will be used to have regional officials better prepare to assist the PAC in carrying out its mandate.”
The letter was copied to Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs and Dr. Hector Butts, Finance Secretary of the Ministry of Finance.
However, Edghill, a former Minister within the Ministry of Finance, under the last administration of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, said that the request of the Ministry of Communities is unacceptable.
“The nation should be appalled that duly appointed accounting officers (Regional Executive Officers) of the 10 Administrative Regions of Guyana are seeking shelter through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communities from appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly. This Committee is where these Accounting Officers are ultimately held accountable for their actions,” MP Edghill said in a statement.
“Notably, of recent months Regional Executive Officers (REO) and huge delegations have attended meetings of the PAC to give an account of their stewardship, and to answer queries raised by the Auditor General, in his report for the fiscal year ending 31st December 2016. It is no secret to the public that some of these officers have been found to have violated the Procurement Act, the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA), stores regulations and even policies set by (President David) Granger administration.”
The MP said that the “ineptitude, incompetence accompanied by the twin sins of ignorance and arrogance” have been on open display in some of these sessions.
“More recently, the REO of Region Five (Ovid Morrison) wrote the Auditor General insinuating that documents would only be made available to the Audit Office when “He” approves it.”
According to a sarcastic Edghill, it must have been a very “humbling experience” for the Granger administration where two members of the executive branch sit as members of the PAC-Minister Volda Lawerence and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Yearwood. Notably, the MP also pointed out, the Financial Secretary, Dr. Hector Butts, under whose signature these officers are appointed by the powers vested in him by the FMAA, sits as an advisor at the PAC.
“Surely this is the type of incestuous relationship that occurs when cronies, party hacks and families are hired for public offices for which they are not qualified and or suited for. It is important to note that every region before an appearance before the PAC have available to them the services of the Audit Office, the Accountant General and the Financial Secretary to assist with their preparation.”
Edghill said that from indications, these services have not been utilized by the officers, thus resulting in them being unprepared for their appearances before the PAC.
“While it is ultimately up to the majority of the members of the PAC, of which the Government enjoys, to grant this request, I’d like to put on public record my strong disagreement to this request and I further object to public officers stymieing the work of the PAC.”
The MP said that this “shameful and dismal” performance of public officers must be dealt with by President Granger and the Ministry of the Presidency as the “buck stops at him, they are his representatives”.
The accounting officers – Permanent Secretaries and REOs – are responsible for the purse strings of ministries and Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), respectively.

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