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Govt.’s constant absence from PAC crippling oversight of their spending – Chair
Kaieteur News – The constant absence of government members at the duly constituted meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is crippling the work of the oversight committee with regard to scrutinising public spending.
PAC Chair, Jermaine Figueira
Chairman of the PAC, Jermaine Figueira in a media release on Monday pointed out following the cancellation of yet another statutory meeting scheduled for yesterday, that it has become more and more pellucid of the government’s chronic and deliberate plot to stymie the work of this very important committee of the National Assembly.
Primarily, he noted that the government members who sit on this committee are deliberately absenting themselves. According to Figueira, the government’s consistent no-show is imperiling one of the guard rails of democracy; and handicapping the committee’s capacity to function as a robust oversight mechanism. “Without effective oversight, we risk witnessing further fiscal mismanagement, reckless squandering of public resources, and a crisis of trust in the government’s financial stewardship,” Figueira said.
He explained further that the PAC stands as a bastion of transparency, accountability, and provides responsible oversight for the allocation of public funds. The PAC Chair reminded that this disheartening trend of absenteeism by government members began when the ruling party altered the standing order, mandating the presence of two government members for a quorum.
“This changed,” the PAC Chair noted “slowed down and stymied the committees work with more than 40 cancelations of the committee meetings since this unnecessary and unwarranted change was made.” Figueira explained that the PAC continues to grapple with an alarming backlog of work, particularly in its present examination of the financial records for the year 2019, rendering it years behind in its essential work and we are in 2024, five years lagging behind.
He emphasized that “It is important to note, that a fully functioning PAC is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy, providing a vital counterbalance to unchecked government actions and to ensure that accounting officers discharge their duties and responsibilities in accordance with the law and show respect in service to the people they serve.”
It is in this regard, the PAC Chair iterated a call for the government to prioritize the prompt resumption of regular PAC meetings, replace the “hard working” ministers of government with two other competent members, so as to ensure the committee can really begin to address the backlog of work in a meaningful way, diligently executing the pivotal oversight duties for the people of Guyana.
“…Minister Gail Teixeira’s own words in parliament, where she posited “ministers of government should not sit on the PAC because of their commitments and heavy workload”. “I agreed with her when it was said then and I agree with her even more now than ever. The government members we all have seen, continues to display a flagrant disregard for this crucial parliamentary oversight body, entrusted with the vital task of scrutinizing government’s financial matters,” he added.
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