Govt. is responsible for there being no PAC

Jun 27, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has made every reasonable effort to convene a meeting so that the unfinished work of the 12th Parliament can continue in the 13th Parliament. Based on the information available to me, he complied with all the Standing Orders by issuing the notice more than three working days in advance and circulating the agenda.

The first notice was sent on Monday, 15 June 2026, for a meeting scheduled for Monday, 22 June 2026. We were initially informed by the Parliament Office that the quorum requirement had been satisfied. The Chairman, two Government members and two Opposition members. However, on the very day of the meeting, we were advised that the Government members had withdrawn, causing the meeting to lose its quorum.

In an effort to accommodate everyone, the Chairman proposed that the meeting be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, whichever day best suited members. Unfortunately, the Government rejected every proposed date. As things now stand, no one knows when the PAC will meet.

This situation goes to the very heart of the controversial decision taken by the PPP/C in April 2021 during the 12th Parliament to change the PAC’s quorum requirements. At the time, I argued that the amendment was designed to give the Government effective control over when the PAC meets and, by extension, how quickly or slowly it performs its oversight role. Everything we warned about in 2021 is now unfolding before our eyes.

The pattern is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Instead of facilitating parliamentary oversight, the Government appears intent on delaying scrutiny and frustrating accountability. A Government that is confident in its stewardship of public funds should welcome the work of the Public Accounts Committee, not repeatedly obstruct it. The Guyanese people deserve transparency, accountability, and a Government that is prepared to answer for its management of the nation’s resources not one that continually avoids scrutiny.

Regards,

Ganesh Mahipaul

Members of Parliament

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Ganesh Mahipaul, Letters, Public Accounts Committee

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