The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has dubbed the government’s Code of Conduct for ministers “farcical” as the government has failed to disclose the sources of funding for the presidential inauguration.
According to the PPP, the Code of Conduct should apply to the entire government and as such “The government’s acceptance of gifts of money and cash donations way beyond the stipulated $10,000 to fund the lavish inauguration event at the stadium, at Camp Ayangana and elsewhere diminishes the Code of Conduct in the eyes of the public as farcical…”
The PPP accused the government of refusing to disclose in and out of Parliament how much money was spent and from which sources of funding. The party is requesting that a complete breakdown of donors be tabulated “showing the total value of the monetary donations and cash gifts received and the information be made public.”
The party stated, “The point is whether the money came from wealthy donors, wealthy power brokers, small donors, reliable money spigots, the nouveau riche or the filthy rich the public has a right to know.”
The opposition’s statement follows former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran stating that the government needs to come clean on the inauguration spending.
Goolsarran had told Stabroek News that he is of the belief that this should have already been done to display good governance and transparency. He said it was in keeping with the laws of Guyana.
“Private funding for public expenditure in keeping with our laws… would be considered a gift or a donation. It has to be valued and brought in the public accounts,” Goolsarran told Stabroek News last week.
“When private funds are being used for public events the government owes it to the public to disclose where the money came from and how the money was spent,” Goolsarran stated.
He acknowledged that the private funding could be viewed as a form of lobbying. Goolsarran said that as such laws are provided for gifts and donations to be valued and publicly disclosed.
Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman has since said that government was in the process of compiling a list of the donors, which would be made public.
