Onward with City Hall’s forensic audit!

Dear Editor,
I have noted with much pleasure the announcement by the new Mayor Patricia Chase Green that the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown (M&CC) is open to facilitating any forensic audit, and she has no objections and even welcomes the Office of the Auditor General to do such an examination.
It is my earnest hope that she is sincere with this declaration as any new and honest administration would demand an audit to not only know where they are financially, but to be guided in the way forward, strengthening and improving systems. Of course, it would highlight any skulduggery that has transpired and identify the perpetrators.
But why is Ms Chase Green limiting the carrying out of an audit on the City Council to only being done by the Auditor General’s Office? Everyone is aware of how taxed the Auditor General’s Office is, with its limited resources and its mandate to audit all State agencies. So, clearly, they would be unable to sift through the Council’s records as would be necessary. There would be need for the engagement of private and competent agencies and individuals as the Government did when the audits were done of places such as the Guyana Energy Agency; Guyoil; the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
The new Mayor further said that she has nothing to hide. She may have a point as by now the public has been made aware that a close male relative of hers continues to receives contracts to clean the cemetery along with other wards of the city, while two female relatives are employed at the City Council benefiting from large salaries whilst doing nothing but sitting in an office in the Human Resources Department manicuring and pedicuring themselves. This is nepotism which is clearly defined as the unfair practice by a powerful person of giving jobs and other favours to relatives, but let us see what else the audit turns up.
Come on Madam Mayor, onward with the forensic audit!

Sincerely,
Shanta Singh