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Opposition moves to Parliament to remedy difficulties scrutinizing Govt. spending
Kaieteur News – The political opposition has in recent months lamented ad nauseum the failure to hold meetings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), on account of an absence of the government members resulting in their being no quorum resulting in the opposition being unable to scrutinize the observations and findings of the Audit Reports of the Audit Office of Guyana. With this in mind, A Partnership for National Unity, Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), Member of Parliament (MP), Ganesh Mahipaul, has taken to the parliament in an attempt to remedy the situation by way of a motion.
Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul
The next sitting of the National Assembly is scheduled for next Thursday, and is set aside as Private Members Day—held once every four sittings of the Assembly, where the opposition’s business in the House takes precedence.
The Motion tabled by Mahipaul, is calling on the Members of the House to vote on rescinding an earlier decision that had changed the numbers required for a quorum—minimum number of persons needed—for a PAC meeting to commence.
Qualifying his position the MP noted that Resolution No. 35 of the National Assembly of Guyana, which was passed on Wednesday, 13th April, 2022, amended Standing Order 82 by inserting immediately after paragraph (3), the following paragraph – “(4) A quorum shall be five (5) members, two (2) representing the Government, two (2) representing the Opposition and the Chairperson.”
He went on to explain that Resolution No. 35, a quorum for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was in keeping with Standing Order 95 (6) which states, “Unless the Assembly otherwise direct, three (3) Members shall be the quorum. In ascertaining whether there is a quorum present, the Member in the Chair shall not be excluded.”
Since the existence of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), its work has always gone unhindered up until Resolution No. 35 of the National Assembly of Guyana
Ever since the adoption of Resolution No. 35, however, 11 meetings of the Public Accounts Committee have been canceled due to the lack of a quorum and “on all eleven (11) occasions it was due to no member of the Government side showing up for the Public Accounts Committee.”
To this end, Mahipaul is looking to have the members of the House vote to resolve that “That this National Assembly rescinds Resolution No.35 which was passed by the National Assembly on Wednesday, 13th April, 2022.”
According to Mahipaul, the (PAC) is yet to complete the examination of the Auditor General Reports for the years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and further the Committee is yet to submit reports to the National Assembly for the financial years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Qualifying his positions further, the APNU+AFC MP recalled that the PAC derives its mandate from Article 223(5-8) of the Constitution of Guyana (2003) and Standing Order (82) of the National Assembly.
To this end, he reiterated that that PAC “exercises supervisory oversight of the functioning of the Audit Office in accordance with the Rules, Policies, and Procedures Manual, the Audit Act, and any other Law.”
He further argues that among the duties of the PAC is to examine the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by the Assembly to meet Public Expenditure and such other accounts laid before the Assembly as the Assembly may refer to the Committee together with the Auditor General’s Report.
Additionally, the PAC examines the economy and the efficiency of the administration of these public expenditures by: a) All central and local government bodies and entities; b) All bodies and entities in which the state has a controlling interest; and c) All projects funded by way of taxes, loans or grants by any foreign state or organization.
This, in addition to exercising 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.
- chairperson, Ganesh Mahipaul, National Assembly of Guyana, Opposition Member of Parliament, Parliament
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