PAC highlights

DESPITE the passage of no-confidence motion in the National Assembly that toppled the APNU+AFC Government in 2018, the then regional administration of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) hired 73 persons who were not budgeted for in the 2019 budget.
In the absence of former Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Five Ovid Morrison, who turned up after the matter was discussed, current REO, Genevieve Blackman and her staff had to answer questions pertaining to what occurred during Morrison’s tenure.
The 2019 Auditor General’s (AG) Report highlighted the serious fact that 73 persons were employed by the regional administration.
“…We are sitting today in PAC and in Region Five, during a year when we should have been in an upholding pattern going to elections, a region employed 73 persons more than what was budgeted for and passed in the Parliament,” PAC member, Bishop Juan Edghill said while advancing the question of what prompted the hiring.
He said that there was “no authority” to expend more money, given the state of the country at that time.
As the regional representatives went over who made up the 73 employees, PAC member, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, highlighted the excessive number of medical personnel and even asked what a “caregiver” is and what the qualifications are.

Following up on Dr. Mahadeo’s question, Edghill asked if the vacancies were advertised; the response was no.
Answering the question regarding how the health personnel were hired, a representative said that the Ministry of Health trained and sent persons to the region, and caregivers were trained and sent by the Ministry of Social Protection (now Ministry of Human Services and Social Security).
When probed further as to how the “farm hands” were hired, it was said that the vacancies were advertised internally.
To this response, Edghill highlighted that internal applications can only be applied to persons within the organisation and when asked if those persons were working there, it was answered with a no.

Opposition Parliamentarian, Ganesh Mahipaul, who chaired the proceedings, emphasised the importance of proper management and inquired if there was a management committee; a representative said no.
Additionally, it was revealed that the farm that the “farm hands” were working on in the region was not approved by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).
Dr. Mahadeo then pointed out that all of the questions pertaining to this issue could not be properly answered by the current staff and Morrison’s absence left many stones unturned.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that under the APNU+AFC Government, the Ministry of Social Protection (now Ministry of Human Services and Social Security) hired 119 temporary employees without proper justification, resulting in a $19 million increase in spending.
The Auditor General’s 2019 report shows that $1.1 billion was budgeted for ‘employment costs’ for 707 persons during the period under review.
However, an examination of the ministry’s appropriation accounts revealed that $1.082 billion was expended for 826 persons. This represents 119 staff more than the budgeted 707 and $19 million under the budgeted expenditure.

As such, it would appear that the employment costs were over budgeted.
The Head of the Budget Agency indicated that although persons were employed in 2019, those employed in the latter part of the year were not paid until 2020 and the funds for this were provided by the Ministry of Finance.