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Strachan knocks Parliament's handling of A-G's reports
BY Balford Henry Observer writer balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Retired Auditor-General Adrian Strachan says he has left his position very dissatisfied with Parliament's handling of his annual reports over the past two years.
In a section of his latest report for the financial year ending March last year, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday, Strachan particularly singled out the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives, now chaired by Dr Omar Davies, for criticism.
"At the time of this report, the committee had not commenced examination of the Auditor-General's Annual Reports for 2004/2005 and 2005/2006," Strachan noted in the introduction to the report.
Strachan explained that the PAC is a standing bi-partisan committee chaired by the Opposition spokesman on finance.
Under the Standing Orders of the House, all accounts of government agencies and annual reports of the auditor-general, tabled in the House, are automatically referred to the committee. In examining the reports of the auditor-general, the committee calls upon accounting officers and other heads of agencies and their support staff to explain their stewardship of the public affairs and resources assigned to them.
"It seeks to identify the causes of weaknesses mentioned in the auditor-general's reports, obtain information on what is being done to rectify the situation, and makes its own recommendations as to the corrective measures which should be pursued," Strachan pointed out.
"The committee, therefore, plays a critical role in helping to ensure that appropriate action is taken on the findings of the auditor-general," he added.
Strachan, who retired at the start of this month, noted that between late 2006 and mid-2007 the PAC, headed by current minister of finance and the public service, Audley Shaw, focused its attention, primarily, on reports done by the contractor-general and a forensic audit team on the controversial Sandals Whitehouse Hotel project, which were referred to it by the former Government.
After nine months of politically charged discussions on the issue, the PAC tabled majority and minority reports in the House last June. But before the reports could be debated, or the committee able to move on to other issues, Parliament was prorogued to accommodate the 2007 general elections.
An attempt by the interim chairman, Mike Henry, to start a review of the 2005/2006 A-G's report, following the conclusion of discussions on Sandals Whitehouse, failed in July last year when members of the previous Government, led by KD Knight and John Junor, voted down the proposal. Parliament prorogued a couple weeks later.
However, some four months after the new Parliament has been sworn in, the PAC is yet to have its first post-election meeting under its new chairman, Dr Davies. And this has not escaped the attention of his successor, either.
"I am now wondering if this Opposition spokesman on finance is not aware that he is chairman of the Public Accounts that has failed to meet since September of this year. Start to get to work," an angry Shaw demanded during an exchange with Davies in the debate on the 2007/2008 supplementary estimates in December.
BY Balford Henry Observer writer balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Retired Auditor-General Adrian Strachan says he has left his position very dissatisfied with Parliament's handling of his annual reports over the past two years.
In a section of his latest report for the financial year ending March last year, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday, Strachan particularly singled out the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives, now chaired by Dr Omar Davies, for criticism.
"At the time of this report, the committee had not commenced examination of the Auditor-General's Annual Reports for 2004/2005 and 2005/2006," Strachan noted in the introduction to the report.
Strachan explained that the PAC is a standing bi-partisan committee chaired by the Opposition spokesman on finance.
Under the Standing Orders of the House, all accounts of government agencies and annual reports of the auditor-general, tabled in the House, are automatically referred to the committee. In examining the reports of the auditor-general, the committee calls upon accounting officers and other heads of agencies and their support staff to explain their stewardship of the public affairs and resources assigned to them.
"It seeks to identify the causes of weaknesses mentioned in the auditor-general's reports, obtain information on what is being done to rectify the situation, and makes its own recommendations as to the corrective measures which should be pursued," Strachan pointed out.
"The committee, therefore, plays a critical role in helping to ensure that appropriate action is taken on the findings of the auditor-general," he added.
Strachan, who retired at the start of this month, noted that between late 2006 and mid-2007 the PAC, headed by current minister of finance and the public service, Audley Shaw, focused its attention, primarily, on reports done by the contractor-general and a forensic audit team on the controversial Sandals Whitehouse Hotel project, which were referred to it by the former Government.
After nine months of politically charged discussions on the issue, the PAC tabled majority and minority reports in the House last June. But before the reports could be debated, or the committee able to move on to other issues, Parliament was prorogued to accommodate the 2007 general elections.
An attempt by the interim chairman, Mike Henry, to start a review of the 2005/2006 A-G's report, following the conclusion of discussions on Sandals Whitehouse, failed in July last year when members of the previous Government, led by KD Knight and John Junor, voted down the proposal. Parliament prorogued a couple weeks later.
However, some four months after the new Parliament has been sworn in, the PAC is yet to have its first post-election meeting under its new chairman, Dr Davies. And this has not escaped the attention of his successor, either.
"I am now wondering if this Opposition spokesman on finance is not aware that he is chairman of the Public Accounts that has failed to meet since September of this year. Start to get to work," an angry Shaw demanded during an exchange with Davies in the debate on the 2007/2008 supplementary estimates in December.