Govt. flouting order geared towards addressing irregularities contained in Auditor General Report

Mar 27, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament (MP), Ganesh Mahipaul is accusing the government of flouting the parliamentary standing orders which stipulates a specific time for recommendations to be made, to help address the irregularities highlighted by the Auditor General’s report.

APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul

In a statement issued to the press, Mahipaul disclosed that the issue dates back to recommendations made for the 2016 Auditor General Report. He explained that while the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) presented, debated, and adopted a report on the audited public accounts of Guyana for the year 2016, during the 51st sitting of the National Assembly, on the 30th November, 2022, the government has since failed to follow through with the process to table the treasury memorandum that is necessary to help correct the wrongdoings committed at the level of government.

Mahipaul, a member of the PAC, explained that the treasury memorandum is a document that holds recommendations made by the PAC, to address the irregularities that were highlighted by the auditor general in 2016.

Minister with the Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh

“For example in the 2016 report, there were a number of overpayments to contractors. Our recommendation is that the accounting officers must pay for measured work and those responsible should be met with various sanctions…” the MP said adding that because the recommendations were not tabled in the form of the treasury memorandum, there is no formal directive for the government agencies and ministries to follow to correct these errors.

“ That’s why you find the issues that were raised by the auditor general report since 2016 are not being properly addressed and the issues keeps reoccurring and coming back again in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 reports even coming up to the 2022 report.”

As a result of this failure, Mahipaul held that the Minister with the Responsibility of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh is in breach of the regulations as required by Standing Order 82 (3).

He explained that standing order 82 (3) specifies that within 90 days of the presentation of a report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Government shall table its treasury memorandum but it has been 117 days since the adoption of the report, and the Government has yet to table its treasury memorandum for that report.

According to Mahipaul, the Minister of Finance can be held in contempt due to this blatant disregard of the parliamentary principles and breach of the code of conduct.

He asserted, “This blatant disregard for the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Guyana is unacceptable, and it highlights the Government’s lack of commitment to transparency and accountability.

Added to this, Mahipaul stated by failing to take the necessary action on the recommendations contained in the PAC report, the entire Government is in breach of fulfilling its responsibilities and obligations to the people of Guyana.

He said the PAC report contains several recommendations aimed at improving the guardrails of democracy and enhancing transparency and accountability in Guyana.

He stressed that the Government’s inaction on these recommendations indicates a disregard for the principles of good governance.

According to Mahipaul, this raises serious concerns about the Government’s commitment to serving the people of Guyana and upholding the rule of law.

Furthermore, he noted the recurring issues of accountability and transparency highlighted in the Auditor General reports of 2020 and 2021 are a cause for alarm.

The APNU+AFC MP said, “The Government’s failure to adhere to the laws of Guyana, including the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act of 2003, the Procurement Act of 2003, and the Stores Regulation, is a betrayal of the public trust. The people of Guyana deserve a Government that is committed to transparency and accountability in the management of public funds,”

He said it is therefore imperative that the Government take swift action to address the recommendations of the PAC report, as well as the issues highlighted in the Auditor General reports.

“This includes tabling the Treasury Memorandum in a timely manner, and taking concrete steps to improve accountability and transparency. The failure of the Government to act in accordance with the law and to address issues of accountability and transparency is a threat to the integrity of the Government and the trust of the people of Guyana. The Government must act now and uphold the values of transparency and accountability that are essential to a healthy democracy,” Mahipaul added.