With record keeping having been identified as one of the challenges facing accounting agencies, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, Jermaine Figueira, has recommended to the Region Three Regional Democratic Council (RDC) that they commence digital record-keeping.
Figueira made the comments at Wednesday’s sitting of the PAC when the RDC appeared before the accounting body to answer questions from the 2017 and 2018 Auditor General’s (AG) report.
The chairman’s recommendation was made after questions were posed to the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Jagnarine Somwar, as to why contract documents were not submitted to auditors and what new systems they have in place for record keeping.
He proceeded to explain that they create and keep a copy of each contract document from the time of conceptualization to execution. It was at this point the Chairman asked whether such documents were being stored digitally.
“I think now is the time to start keeping records electronically in that way you will always have a copy and be updated on projects… You can start back-dating it from the time you took over as REO,” the Chairman suggested.
Government member Dharamkumar Seeraj had questioned the absence of a document after it was highlighted in the AG 2017 report.
Former REO, Denis Jaikarran, who was present before the committee and responded to the question said it was possibly a case of the officer not being able to locate the file. However, the PAC was informed that they were in possession of the file and were prepared to provide the AG’s office with a copy.
In support of the Chairman’s recommendation, Opposition member, Juretha Fernandes, recommended that the records should not be only stored in hard drives and flash drives, but also on cloud servers to enable access at any time it is required.
The 2017 report stated that a review of seven contracts for current expenditure, namely, corrective maintenance works to building at Education Stores, Plantain Walk, enclosure of Philadelphia Primary School, construction of fence at Tuschen playground, construction of fence at Vive La Force playground, construction of fence at Parika Back Dam playground, corrective maintenance works on building at West Demerara Secondary School, and maintenance of internal road at West Demerara Regional Hospital. In addition, a review of two contracts for Capital Expenditure, namely, the construction of heavy duty bridge at Richmond Hill, Leguan Island, and construction of an extension to the Regional Democratic Office were all awarded by the Regional Tender Board.
However, an examination of these contracts revealed one or more deficiencies in each contract.
The AG’s office stated that among the issues highlighted, notably no contract documents were seen for the works; signed contract agreements were not in keeping with the approved Standard Bidding Document, and several different items were lumped together and paid for as one. These items, it was explained, should not have been paid for as a singular “job” since they could be individually quantified.
