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Govt. members a no-show at PAC for 3 consecutive week
– Opposition says Committee’s efforts stymied
Kaieteur News – For the third consecutive week, Government Representatives who sit on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were a no-show for scheduled meetings.
In a Press Release, members of the A Partnership For National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) said that the work of the PAC continues to suffer due to the continued absence of the Government members of the Committee.
“Monday, 12th December, 2022 marks the third consecutive Monday of no meeting of the PAC since the resumption from recess of the National Assembly due to the absence of a quorum. The sixth Monday of no PAC since the passage of a motion to change the composition of a quorum for the PAC,” the Press Release said.
PAC Chairman, Jermaine Figueira
Further, the Opposition said that “Amidst widespread allegations of massive corruption at the Ministries of Public Works, Agriculture, Home Affairs, Culture, Youth and Sports, Health, Education, Natural Resources, Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Foreign Affairs, Housing and Water, Finance, Human Services and Social Security and Regions 1 to 10, the country and people of Guyana are left with no answer, no accountability and no transparency with this PPP/C Government.”
The Opposition said the absence of the PPP/C Government members at the PAC clearly illustrates total disrespect for accountability and transparency.
“The PPP/C’s continued absence from the PAC is clear evidence of the breaking down of the guardrails of our democracy,” the Press Release said noting that efforts will continue to fight for accountability and transparency.
Further, the Opposition members said that they intend to notify the Diplomatic community and Parliamentary organisations of this development.
Meanwhile, in April PAC Chairman and Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Jermaine Figueira had opposed a Motion submitted by Minister of Governance Gail Teixeira to change the quorum from three to five members – two members each from the Government and Opposition and the Speaker or Deputy Speaker serving as Chairman, as is the case of the Parliamentary Management Committee.
Figueira objected on the ground that the proposed change would stymie the work of the Committee and more over prevent the Committee from scrutinising Government expenditure.
“We in the APNU+AFC are confident that the effect of this Motion will be that by their mere non-attendance, the PPP will stymie the functioning of the PAC rendering it impotent and non-functional,” he said.
Notwithstanding Figueira’s objections, on April 13, 2022 the Government used its one seat majority to pass the Motion in the National Assembly.
As Figueira predicted, the PAC meetings have been postponed on more than six occasions due to the absence of the PPP/C members.
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