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Govt advanced questionable $1B from Consolidated Fund – AG Report

 

November 16, 2012 | By | Filed Under News 
 

More than $7 billion was last year drawn from the nation’s Consolidated Fund by way of 80 Contingencies Fund advances, but four of these advances, amounting to just over $1 billion, did not fully meet the criteria.


This is according to the 2011 Auditor General Report which details that the Contingencies Fund continued to be used without meeting the requisite criteria, with amounts totalling $1.146 billion drawn from the Fund. These monies, the Report states, was utilised to meet expenditure that did not meet the eligibility criteria as defined in the Fiscal Management and Accountability (FMA) Act.


Discrepancies were detected in advances for the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs for the provision of Amerindian development projects and programmes, while the Public Works Ministry directed questionable advances to consultancy, engineering and designs, procurement of four excavators and drainage and irrigation works.

 

Together, the two Ministries’ advances amounted to $1 billion.


Construction of a new inpatient facility by the Health Ministry costing $120 million was also listed among the debatable amounts highlighted in the Report.

Another amount of $26 million was listed as defray expenditure in relation to National Awards and other events hosted by the State under the Office of the President, the Report adds.


The Auditor General’s Report outlined that a similar state of affairs has been highlighted on repeated occasions in previous Reports. It was noted, too, that where any advance is made, a supplementary estimate must be laid before the National Assembly, as soon as is practicable, for the purpose of properly authorising the replacement of the amount advanced.


As was stated in previous years, the Audit Office has recommended that the Ministry of Finance adopts stringent measures to ensure that there is compliance with Section 41 of the FMA Act. However, in its response, the Finance Ministry indicated that it continues to ensure that there is full compliance with the requirements of the FMA Act, as it relates to the granting of Contingencies Fund Advances.


In accordance with Section 41 of the FMA Act, the Minister of Finance “may approve a Contingencies Fund Advance as an expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund by the issuance of a drawing right.”

The criteria require the Minister to be satisfied that: “an urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen need for the expenditure has arisen (a) for which no monies have been appropriated or for which the sum appropriated is insufficient; (b) for which monies cannot be reallocated as provided for under this Act; or (c) which cannot be deferred without injury to the public interest…”

Meanwhile, approximately $4 billion contained in special accounts is currently owing to the nation’s coffers, a situation which the Auditor General has warned warrants urgent action. The Audit Report, which offers an assessment of the Public Accounts, the Accounts of Ministries, Departments and Regions for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2011, revealed that 11 special accounts held at the Bank of Guyana, together make up a balance of approximately $4.306 billion.  This sum, according to the Report, appears to be funds that were transferrable to the Consolidated Fund.  It was pointed out too that eight of the existing accounts reflect static balances totalling $1.774 billion over the last five years.

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 It was pointed out too that eight of the existing accounts reflect static balances totalling $1.774 billion over the last five years.

 

How can the PPP Inc. claim that they do not have money to buy text books?

Mitwah

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