…requests auditors scrutinise the books again
Government Information Agency (GINA) Director Beverly Alert on Monday called for auditors to again take a look at the entity’s finances, since the data she was furnished with contained glaring inaccuracies, which she was unable to explain to the Public Accounts Committee 
(PAC) of Parliament.
The GINA Director, during an intense series of questions from Committee Chairman (ag) Juan Edghill, essentially threw in the towel and said “the auditors probably have to come in back…maybe we have to scrutinise the books again. I can only go to what was provided to me by the staff of GINA.”
The GINA Director was at the time being questioned over the use of a Contingency Fund advance to meet payment for staff bonuses at the end of 2015.
The cheques issued under the advance from the Contingency Fund were made in January of 2016, but the bonus payments were made in December, which led to the back-and-forth exchange, eventually leading to a call for the auditors to take a fresh look at the books.
It was pointed out that for the Contingency Fund to be used in such a manner was “going further into a cesspool”.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Presidency, Abena Moore, sought to explain that the money was requested from the Finance Ministry on behalf of GINA – which falls under the Office of the Prime Minister in the Ministry – in order to make payments to the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), publisher of the Guyana Chronicle.
The debt, according to Alert, was incurred by GINA in the period leading up to May 2015.
It was explained that the GNNL was paid $9.4 million and the remainder of the money that had been requested was used to reimburse GINA for the bonus payments made.
The Contingency Fund advance totalled $11 million.
Following the request by Alert to have the auditors re-audit GINA’s financials, Moore committed to not have a reoccurrence.
PAC member, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) parliamentarian and former Permanent Secretary, Nigel Dharamlall took umbrage to this state of affairs.
“I don’t think expending public resources can be treated with a slap on the wrist,” Dharamlall said.
He added that it was unacceptable that Moore could just say the abuse of the Contingency Fund would not happen again.
Dharamlall called on the Auditor General to launch another investigation into the matter. According to the PPP/C member, “I think whatever measures need to be put in place, including disciplinary measures, should be put whether within GINA or the Office of the PS.”
