Government has tabled a motion to amend the Standing Orders to require that there be five members present, including at least two from the ruling party, for there to be a quorum of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The motion, which is in the name of PAC member Gail Teixeira, has prompted the main opposition APNU+AFC to accuse the government of seeking to stymie the work of the PAC, for which a quorum is currently three members, irrespective of party.
At a news conference yesterday, PAC Chairman Jermaine Figueira voiced the coalition’s concern and astonishment at the inclusion of the motion on the Order Paper for next Wednesday’s sitting of Parliament.
“We in the APNU+AFC are confident that the effect of this motion will be that by their mere non attendance, the PPP will stymie the functioning of the PAC rendering it impotent and nonfunctional. This will impact negatively on the committees’ ability to ensure accountability and transparency in the expenditures,” Figueira said, while noting that the committee has been carrying out its mandate and meeting on every statutory date. “We see this as another attempt to slow down the work of the PAC by the PPP, to ensure that fewer meetings are held, and on occasions if they do not want certain agencies examined, they can now prevent that by simply not attending PAC.”
The PAC Chairman argued that the current arrangement for a quorum for the committee provides for a more independent and apolitical environment.
Teixeira’s motion notes that Standing Order No. 95(6) states that three members is the quorum on any Standing or Select
Committee, including the Chairperson, “unless the Assembly otherwise direct.” Further, it notes that Standing Order No. 83(5) provides in the Parliamentary Management Committee for a quorum of five members, of which two must represent the government, and two must represent the opposition, one of whom shall be the representative of the main opposition party, and the Speaker and or the Deputy Speaker as the Chairperson of the Committee.
The motion contends that due to the role and functions of the PAC, it would be appropriate to amend Standing Order 82 to provide for a similar quorum formulation as in the Parliamentary Management Committee.
But Figueira said that issue has never been discussed at the level of the PAC, although the mover of the motion is a member of the committee. He also suggested that the procedure adopted by Teixeira is incorrect as he argued that it should be done via the Standing Orders Committee. On the latter note, he said the committee, Chaired by Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir, has not met since the life of the 12th Parliament began in August 2020.
“We call on the Speaker to act and the people of Guyana to speak out against this deliberate act to prevent scrutiny, hinder the proper examination of national expenditures and to limit the PAC’s work to hold government and accounting officers accountable,” Figueira said.
The PAC is responsible for scrutiny of public expenditure.
