Latest update April 3rd, 2025 7:31 AM
Auditor General 2022 Report to be presented to Parliament next week
Kaieteur News – w on Monday confirmed that preparations are being made to present the 2022 Audit Report to the National Assembly on September 15, 2023.
Auditor General, Deodat Sharma
In a brief telephone interview with Kaieteur News, the AG explained that the audit of the various Ministries and state agencies has been completed.
The report would provide insight on the use of funds from the public purse by the respective agencies.
Notably, last year’s Budget was approved to the tune of US$552.9 billion. By the end of December 2022 however, the total fiscal plan was increased to approximately US$643.7 billion, owing to the passage of two supplemental budgets.
This means that the Audit Office was tasked with reviewing the use of US$643.7 billion used from the consolidated fund. It must be noted that the 2022 Budget was supported by a total of US$607.6 million in oil revenue. It was the first year that the nation utilized the revenue stream from the petroleum sector to offset its development agenda.
Although there have been calls for the government to account for the spending of revenue from the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) or the oil account, the AG told Kaieteur News that the Audit Office would not be conducting a specific review of those funds, since they have been pooled into the consolidated fund.
He explained, “What we are doing is the Bank of Guyana has the Natural Resource Fund (report to show) how much money is received…so once the money goes there and is gazetted, it goes into the consolidated fund. The government now has it as budget support so they don’t have it specifically to say well they are doing x school or x road- it’s just budget support- so that’s what we are auditing.”
The AG added, “We therefore can’t say well Bishops’ High School repairs were done by the oil money or St. Rose’s School was built by that money. We are unable to say that because they are not specific in the Budget.”
Presently, the National Assembly is on recess. It is expected to resume on October 10, 2023. In the meantime, Speaker of the House, Manzoor Nadir will receive the report to be laid over.
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