Latest update November 17th, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
- Guyana received US$5.4B in royalty, profits from 500M barrels pumped to date
- Final audit report of Exxon’s US$7.3B expenses sent to company, to be made public next week – Minister Bharrat
- Israeli air raid on Gaza City school turned shelter kills 10 people
- Baby dies, toddler severely burnt in Sophia fire
- Venezuelan- orchestrated cyber operations targeting Guyana – National Defence Institute
Town Councils, NDCs operating in breach of audit regulation – AG Report
Members of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council in a Council Session.
Kaieteur News – In 2021, the sum of $552 million was allotted for the provision of subventions to Municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).
According to the Auditor General’s report for 2021, the Appropriation Accounts revealed the amounts totalling $551.432 million was expended.
However, it was pointed out in the report that Municipalities continued to breach the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01 of the Laws of Guyana, which stipulates that “…All accounts of Municipal and District Councils be made up yearly to the end of the financial year by the Treasurer of the Council and shall be so made up not later than four months after the end of such year to which they relate and for those accounts to be audited by the Auditor as soon as practicable”.
Despite this legal requirement, a number of the Municipal and District Councils were still in violation of Section 177 of the Municipal and District Councils Act Chapter 28:01.
Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development indicated that in accordance with the Act, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to submit all Financial Statements to the Audit Office.
The Ministry continues to encourage the Local Organs to submit their respective Financial Statement in a timely manner.
In addition, the Ministry identified the need for capacity building in this regard and the appropriate training was to be conducted in the year 2022.
It was noted that the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development transferred sums totalling $111M to just Town Councils for that year.
The Audit Office recommends that the Head of Budget Agency follow-up with the agencies to have proper and complete Financial Statements submitted for audit.
The NDCs continued to be in breach of the Local Government Act, Chapter 28:02 of the Laws of Guyana, which stipulates that “…the accounts of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC’s) to be made up annually”.
According to Section 134 (1) of the said Act, the Auditor General may at any time audit the accounts of those councils. It should be noted that the Ministry transferred sums totalling $418.288M to the NDCs in 2021.
The report noted that financial statements were not received for the years 2014-2018, 2020-2021.
In response to the questions raised in the audit the Ministry of Local Government indicated that in accordance with the Act, it is the responsibility of the Overseer of each Town Council or NDC to submit all Financial Statements to the Audit Office.
The Ministry said that at the interim, it continues to encourage the Local Organs to submit their respective Financial Statements in a timely manner.
The Audit Office has since recommended that the Agencies have their outstanding financial statements submit them for audit.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The PPP is in the grip of the bourgeoisie
…Peeping Tom Kaieteur news- The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) stands at a crossroads. Once the vanguard... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
