UG’s backlog of financial reports causes for concern – Auditor General

…says preparations continuing for audit

While preparations are ongoing for the Audit Office of Guyana (AOG) to commence an audit into the University of Guyana (UG), the backlog of years UG did not complete its audited financial statements is a cause for worry.

This is according to Auditor General Deodat Sharma in an interview with this publication on Wednesday. According to Sharma, they are moving full steam ahead and an auditor has been contracted to assist with the audit.
“Remember the PS had asked me not to go ahead. I did indicate that. But we are going ahead. I have a contracted auditor that’s working on that. And we’re formulating a plan to do that investigation, regardless.”
“The issue [is] UG’s audited [financials] were up to 2017. They’ve now submitted financial statements for 2015. So we still have 16, 17, and 18 due. So until you get those statements and audits up to date, you really can’t do a proper audit, unless you do a special investigation in particular areas.”
Sharma, whose agency audits Government’s public accounts on an annual basis, went on to note the importance of having those accounts up to date up to 2018. He was not convinced about the UG administration’s sincerity in clearing this backlog.
“They’ve just submitted the 2015 [report]. But we’re still awaiting 16, 17 and 18. So I don’t think they are taking very serious steps,” the Auditor General remarked.
UG’s administration has previously been accused of wanton spending— including hosting several events, standing the expenses of meals and accommodation for guest speakers, as well as hiring select individuals, paying them super salaries, and sending large delegations overseas, all on the University’s bill. Former Vice Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith had always denied those claims.
The University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) have levelled these accusations, in particular. The Unions had joined forces to question why monies were allocated in previous budgets to entities which do not exist and what became of those funds.
They had also demanded answers from the administration on how much money was spent on nonessential events within the last two and half years— which included, but were not limited to, the Law and Society series, the Turkeyen-Tain talks, and the Vice-Chancellor’s installation ceremony.
They had argued that while these monies were being spent, the core units of the University, which include faculties and schools, had been informed that no money is available for essential repairs and payment for stationery, among others.
The Education Ministry had previously supported and, in fact, asked that the Auditor General conduct a probe into the University. But mysteriously, the Ministry had withdrawn its request for the probe. Stakeholders had urged that the AG conduct his probe anyway.
In his 2016 Audit Report, Sharma had found that $209 million had been unaccounted for from the University of Guyana’s Science and Technology Support Project, funded by the Government of Guyana (GoG) and the International Development Association (IDA) under Credit Agreement No 4969-GY.
However, the University had insisted that the monies were used for infrastructure projects on the campus, including a fibre optic cable to provide students with Wi-Fi. It had also noted that some of the monies were used to renovate the faculty buildings.