Hours of locked horns between the Opposition and Government sides at the Public Accounts Committee on Monday resulted in a decision to merge the 2017 and 2018 audit reports for scrutiny.
This decision was taken at the recent meeting – a move which was heavily opposed by Government members on the basis that the reports should be properly ventilated. Opposition Committee Members were initially arguing for the years 2017 to 2019 to be consolidated.
Government PAC Member Gail Teixeira
Government Chief Whip and Governance Minister, Gail Teixeira argued that the Committee must properly comb through the concerns raised in these reports to provide answers and ensure accountability. She noted that in a bid to clear the backlog which currently exists, this process should not be rushed.
“I understand the issue that the members are raising about haste and getting through the three reports but it is also a responsibility to do what is correct. We now have work to do with compiling a report that reflects our concerns, whether by sector or by general recommendation, general observations.”
On the 2016 report, she noted, “We have a lot of work to do in putting forward a proper report that reflects the concerns of 2016…We have several weeks’ work to do with 2016. I don’t want this to be a matter which we seem to be ignoring our responsibilities under the constitution and the procurement act. To try to rush through is not the issue. It’s to do good work and reflect our responsibilities.”
However, Opposition Member David Patterson opined that they are competent enough to cover all three reports at once through the merger. He highlighted seven instances where there were mergers in previous PACs in his arguments.
“We are competent enough to do it…It is undesirable but it is not an uncommon challenge that has faced previous PACs in the past. They have, for whatever reason, been times the work of the PAC has been some years behind. We have done, seven times, combined reports whereby PAC would combine reports for the audit office in a matter to address the backlog,” he contended.
PAC Chairman Jermaine Figuera
Nevertheless, Attorney-at-Law and Government Member Sanjeev Datadin pointed out that while reports have been merged before, it is a decision of the current Committee to decide. He did not support the position to merge the reports, since it would not present the opportunity for proper scrutiny.
“Whether we do in a conflated, consolidated way or not is really a matter that this Committee must consider. To say that it has been done in the past and to say this has been done in previous years is a matter that Committee would have decided would have been appropriate. But we have to decide what we are doing and how we are going to scrutinise what is being done.”
Datadin also contended, “If it is that we have several years to get done and we need to get through that process, we still need to do it in a way that is not simply paying lip service to say that we’ve done it…Saying that we’re conflating it in expediency so that people who have not left the job will be there or people who are needed or maybe be required, that’s not the concern. The concern is to do the job we’ve been tasked to do.”
A decision was subsequently carried after consulting with Auditor General Deodat Sharma, who suggested that the Committee consider merging two years instead of three.
“With regards to the lengthy decision we would have had, I believe a decision has to be made…The decision has already been unanimously consented to by this Committee and so carries,” Figuera informed.
The PAC is currently in a backlog of several years, since the 2016 Auditor General report is being examined in the 2021 fiscal year. Earlier this month, a motion that the parliamentary Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) had been seeking to increase sittings of the PAC to twice per week, was defeated by the Government side of the Committee.
At the time, Government Chief Whip and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira had noted that making two meetings per week statutory not only goes against tradition, but would be an inconvenience for the PAC’s workload. However, the Government side has been willing to have extra meetings whenever the need arises. (G12)
