-PAC hears

YEARS after the Auditor General’s 2019 report flagged missing documents for some 38 cheques that were prepared in Region Nine to the tune of $1.7 million, vouchers to account for same have resurfaced and were submitted to the Auditor General’s office.

This was disclosed as the Parliamentary Public Affairs Committee (PAC) delved into the 2019 Auditor General’s report for 2019 for Region Nine’s regional administration.

According to the report, audit checks revealed that 405 cheques totalling some $345 Million were printed on behalf of the region and upon inspection of the sub-treasury’s safe in January of 2020, it was discovered that there were some 395 cheques on hand.

Further to this, no evidence of payment vouchers and related documents were seen for 38 cheques totalling $1.706 million.

This, the report added meant that the Audit Office could not determine whether the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act was fully complied with.

In response, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill asked why the supporting documents were not provided or available at the time of the audit checks.

Regional Executive Officer, Carl Singh in response stated that at the time, the documents were not in possession of the region.

“At the time of the audit, the documents were not in the possession or the sub-treasury officer did not have the documents on them,” he disclosed.

This led the minister to inquire when the documents were found to which the REO added that these vouchers were recovered at the sub-treasury in the region some three months ago.
However, Accountant General Jennifer Chapman asked that the REO forward those documents to her for her to launch an investigation into the matter as she too was surprised that the documents surfaced only this year.

“I am just as confused as every other member of the PAC,” she said.