Opposition submits Motion to PAC quorum

Jul 19, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – The combined A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance for Change (APNU+ AFC) Opposition has submitted a Motion to the National Assembly in a bid to reverse Government’s decision to change the composition of the quorum of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Opposition MP: Ganesh Mahipaul

On April 13, 2022, Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Government side successfully tabled Resolution No. 35 of the National Assembly amending Standing Order 82 (2) which allowed for the composition of the quorum needed for the holding of a PAC meeting to be changed from three to five members.

Since then, the opposition members of the PAC have complained bitterly of not being able to move forward with the work due to the absence of government members.

According to the Motion set to be moved by Opposition MP Ganesh Mahipaul when Parliament resumes on Thursday, there have been eleven cancellations of meetings due to the composition of the quorum.

The Motion listed on the Parliamentary Order Paper under schedule of the 65^th sitting of the National Assembly, notes the absence of Government representatives of the PAC which resulted in the cancellation of lawfully mandated meetings that in turn resulted in a backlog of the PAC’s examination of the Auditor General’s reports.

It states that the need to reverse the decision is urgent since it is the legal duty of the PAC to exercise supervisory oversight of the functioning of the Audit Act and any other law.

“…Whereas since the resolution number 35 eleven meetings of the PAC have been cancelled due to a lack of quorum.”

“Whereas the [PAC] examines the economy and efficiency of the administration of these public expenditures by all central and local government bodies and entities all bodies and entities in which the State has a controlling interest and all project funded by way of taxes , loans or grants by any foreign state or organization.”

Further it states that the [PAC] exercises powers in keeping with the Legislative Bodies Evidence Act, Chapter 1:08 allowing for the summoning of witnesses to give evidence and or provide documents to the committee.

According to the Motion, the decision to change the quorum must be rescinded since it hinders the PAC’s examination of the 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 audit reports.

The opposition has complained bitterly about the lagging behaviour of the government as it relates to the work of the PAC. In a previous statement, Chairman of the PAC, Jermaine Figueira accused the government of deliberately stalling the meetings.

When the modification of the quorum was proposed by the government last year, the PAC Chairman had protested against it. He had predicted that the change of quorum for PAC meetings from three members, irrespective of party affiliation to a quorum to five members would be problematic, if those on the government side failed to turn up for the meeting.

Figueira had repeatedly alluded to what he calls a blatant disregard by the government for the responsibilities they were elected to uphold on behalf of the people of Guyana.

The PAC Chairman stated that the government’s consistent failure to show up and do the work they were elected to do is a microcosm of the unacceptable reality of many other committees of the National Assembly.

He noted, “The Natural Resources Committee, for example, which should be meeting, given Guyana’s resource-rich status and the possibilities for transformation with our new oil-rich resource, has not met since the inception of this Parliament.”

Figueira added that, “The deliberate derailing and stymieing of the work of the PAC by the government is unacceptable, and it is time for the people of Guyana to demand the accountability they deserve.” As Chair of the PAC, Figueira said the situation can only be seen as untenable and as such, he believes the committee cannot to allow it adversely affect its operations.

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Alliance For Change, Ganesh Mahipaul, MP, opposition, quorum

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