EPA says financial statements are up to date, despite auditor general report

Nov 19, 2024 News

EPA says financial statements are up to date

Kaieteur News-The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied failing to submit Financial Statements to the Audit Office to be audited and have their accounts laid in the National Assembly in a timely manner.

The body was among seven statutory bodies under the remit of the Office of the President that was flagged by the Auditor General (AG) Deodat Sharma in the 2023 Audit Report, for continuously breaching the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act of 2003 by failing to submit financial statements. This was reported by Kaieteur News in its November 17, 2024 publication under the headline “EPA among seven bodies flagged for continuously breaching Accountability Act”.

In its public missive, the Agency clarified that for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, audited Financial Statements were laid in the National Assembly on May 10, 2023.

Meanwhile, for 2019, it said the audited Financial Statement was ratified by the Executive Director and Board Chairman of the EPA, on September 12, 2024. The Financial Statement was submitted to be laid in the National Assembly. For 2020, the EPA explained that the Financial Statement was submitted to the Audit Office of Guyana on April 26, 2021. “The Agency is awaiting the Audit of the Financial Records. Notably, this audit was outsourced by the Audit Office to Maurice Solomon and Company,” the body explained.

Finally, for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, EPA noted that Financial Statements were submitted to the Audit Office of Guyana. It added that the Agency was awaiting the Audit of those Financial Records.

In its 2023 Report, the Audit Office explained that the sum of $2.809 billion was allotted for subsidies and contributions to Local Organisations. It should be noted that an allotment transfer of $34M was approved, decreasing the total funds available to $2.775 billion. “According to the Appropriation Accounts, amounts totalling $2.734 billion were expended as at 31 December 2023; included in the sum of $2.734 billion expended, were amounts totalling $2.465 billion which were released to seven statutory bodies under the control of the Office of the President,” the 2023 AG Report explains.

The organizations include the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Guyana Office for Investment, EPA, Protected Areas Commission, Wildlife Management Authority and the National Parks Commission. While these statutory bodies are subject to separate financial audits and reporting, the Audit Office noted that the organizations continued to breach Section 80 (1), (3)(c) and (4) of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act of 2003 by failing to submit Financial Statements for audit and to have their accounts laid in the National Assembly in a timely manner.

(EPA says financial statements are up to date)

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Audit, EPA, financial statement, Report

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