–Minister Edghill says; affirms commitments made by PPP/C government are in line with principles of full accountability, transparency
MINISTER of Public Works and member of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Juan Edghill, on Tuesday, set the record straight and noted that the committee will not gloss over the 2019 and 2020 Auditor General’s reports which should uncover illegalities and corruption between that period.
In a statement posted to his page, he noted that the nation was again greeted by another attempt by the opposition APNU+AFC to “mamaguy” the Guyanese people concerning the sittings of the PAC.
He said that the committee is currently examining the reports of 2019 which happens to be the year after the successful passage of the motion of no-confidence against the coalition government in 2018.
“This is the period during which, the APNU+AFC refused to demit office. It is abundantly clear, that the current APNU+AFC Opposition would have preferred a situation, where three of their members could meet as the PAC, and gloss over the illegalities, corruption, mismanagement, and maladministration, that occurred during that period,” he said in the post.
Edghill added that the fact that the PAC’s quorum has changed has brought grief to the APNU+AFC opposition, as the spending of public funds in 2020 during the five-month period where there were attempts to steal an election is next on the agenda.
He added: “The blatant lie being peddled by the APNU+AFC Opposition that the PPP/C Government is attempting to dodge scrutiny, bears no merit, since, the PAC is currently reviewing the Auditor General‘s Report for 2019- a period when the PPP/C was not in office. This is a clear attempt at obfuscation and is a smoke screen to distract from actions that require closer investigation.”
This behaviour, the minister said, will not be allowed to continue unchallenged.
Edghill added that the commitment that the PPP/C government makes to the people of Guyana continues to be in line with the principles of full accountability and transparency, and that the public purse will be protected at all times.
He said: “A change of quorum did not, in any way, shape or form, negatively affect the efficiency of the PAC. Another important fact to note is, PAC meetings are open for public viewing, and it is our informed position, that the Guyanese people are the best jury that can pronounce on this matter.”
He called out a recent headline in the Kaieteur Newspaper as ill-advised, unresearched and void of factual basis.
Edghill further revealed that for the period of 2015 to 2020, which is the five-year period that the APNU+AFC coalition was in office, the PAC met a total of 46 times as compared to 2020 to 2023 since the PPP/C administration has been in office, the PAC met a total of 58 times.
