– sanctions, security, accountability recommended in 2015 report

THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has encouraged agencies, ministries and regional administrations to be more accurate when presenting information to the committee.
PAC in its report on the public accounts of Guyana for 2015 noted its dissatisfaction in some accounting officers who, during their deliberations before the committee, were unprepared to answer queries raised by members of the committee and in some instances provided inaccurate information.

The committee observed that accounting officers continued to repeat their mistakes despite being warned on several occasions.

On February 6, 2017 the committee began its deliberation of the Auditor General’s report for 2015. The committee faced a number of challenges during those deliberations.
Among the challenges was the unpreparedness of the accounting officers to manage/answer questions posed by the committee. Some accounting officers even continued to show total disregard for a number of the recommendations proposed by the committee and they continued to breach the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003.

The PAC as such recommended that the finance secretary sanction officials employed by the ministries and regions for signing off on incomplete work.

In order to maintain accountability, the committee also recommended that all money not utilised at the end of the year should be returned to the consolidated fund and budgeted for in the new year.

PAC also recommended that emphasis be placed on the security and accountability of items purchased by Government agencies among other things.

Despite the challenges the committee anticipates that systems will be implemented by ministries, agencies and regions to address the issue.