The new Administration has announced that it is reviewing the performance and efficiency of publicly owned entities, statutory bodies, projects and activities financed by or through public funds. Accordingly, it has identified some 30 entities for such review and has commissioned forensic audits of a number of these entities. A key aspect of the review relates to an assessment of the entity’s adherence to and fulfillment of the principles of corporate governance in all aspects, including its interpretation of its mission, adherence to legal or statutory and policy instruments and good practices. A number of Chartered Accountants have been engaged to carry out some of these assignments.
The announcement attracted much media attention, and the views of several stakeholder groups and individuals were highlighted. In an article appearing in the Kaieteur News of 17 June, the British High Commissioner is reported to have stated that the Government’s initiation of forensic audits is