THE Auditor General’s 2015 Report has found several “discrepancies” in the way the allotted $300M to the City Council was spent during the year.The sum of money was allotted for the Georgetown restoration initiatives for environmental improvement and improved health and well-being, and according to the Appropriation Account, the full amount was expended as at December 31, 2015.

“The sum of $300M allotted for audit examination revealed that $6.200M was expended for the purchase of a double cab pick-up for the city police, $52.163M for the de-bushing of the Le Repentir Cemetery, and $241.637M for the restoration of Georgetown,” the report explained.

However, after a total of 212 payment vouchers were examined, a number of discrepancies were found including that there were 167 instances, totaling $159.968M, where there was no evidence of the payment vouchers being certified by the accountant or any other authorised officer.

Further, approval by the City Treasurer was not seen on 140 payment vouchers totaling $143.682M.

According to the report, there was also no evidence of the Finance Committee approving 58 payments totaling 48.404M, and no evidence of receipt or payee acknowledgement for a payment of $750,000 to a contractor via cheque #164407587.

“The basis of award of several contracts for the weeding of parapets, desilting of drains and cutting down of trees in various areas around Georgetown could not be determined due to the unavailability of the relevant supporting documents,” the report further noted, and as a result, it could not be ascertained whether proper transparency and accountability was exercised in the awarding of contracts.

Meanwhile, Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan had recently requested a financial statement from the City Council because he said he saw the need for a perusal of such in order to enable proper decision-making.

According to a source, the minister was provided the statement by Georgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green, and he has since concluded that the City Council is not in a financial crisis that the public is led to believe.