–2016 audit report reveals

THE Auditor-General’s Report for 2016 has shown that the Ministry of Education inappropriately spent $173.7M from its special-projects bank account.

According to the report, the monies were garnered from various sources, such as the Guyana Lotteries Commission, Digicel, and refunds from the permanent secretary.

According to the report, $54.2 million was spent on equipment and furniture; $48 million on anniversary celebrations; $13.2 million on salaries and overtime; $12 million on vehicle parts; $9.5 million on construction and rehabilitation; $9.3 million on sports gear; $77.4 million on stationery; $5.1 million for rental; $4.3 million on advertisement; $4.1 million on staff welfare; $2.5 million on airfare; and $3.4 million on other things.

The balance for this account, as of December 31, 2015, was $29.9 million, while the cash book balance was $11 million. As at December 31, 2016, the bank balance on the account was $46.6 million, and the cash book balance was $44.8 million.

During 2016, amounts totaling $177 million were received and deposited into the account. Included in this amount were sums totalling $28.4 million, which were related to revenue received for the rental of the Guyana National Stadium.

The report states that an analysis of the expenditure has revealed that a significant portion was related to the normal activities of the ministry. The report notes that these types of expenditure should have been met from the budgetary allocations which were approved by the National Assembly.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Alfred King clarified that $42.1 million was utilised from the special projects bank account for the procurement of one upright piano, and one concert grand piano, which were purchased for Guyana’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. He noted that Cabinet had approved the purchase of the musical instruments.

The ministry also used $525.3 million to pay salaries and overtime for staff at the National Stadium, National Culture Centre, Sophia Training Centre, and Kuru Kuru Training College. The report disclosed that these payment vouchers were not present for audit examination.

Meanwhile, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira stated that it is “very disturbing” that the funds received by the ministry by its agencies were not only kept in a separate account, instead of Consolidated Fund account as it should have been, but that the monies were utilised inappropriately.

“It is totally unacceptable paying overtime, staff and everything…The National Stadium, National Culture Centre, Sophia Training Centre, and Kuru Kuru Training College, these are all agencies under the Ministry of Education at that time who, I assume, budgets for their salaries and benefits were catered for, or if not catered for, then a Cabinet decision allowed you to access supplementary funds to use it for that purpose… It looks like this was a grab-money-where-it-was, and this is not allowed,” she said.