Dear Editor,
I take this opportunity to respond to a rebuttal by Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, on the PPP/C’s efforts to curtail the work of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which appeared in the Stabroek News of 14/12/2022.
In his missive the Honourable Minister posited “I wish to denounce untruthful statements made by Opposition MP Jermaine Figueira in an article published in a daily newspaper headlined `Govt. members a no-show at PAC for three consecutive weeks’”.
What is untrue about this undeniable fact?
The PAC not meeting for three consecutive weeks is not distorting the facts, Minister Edghill, it is nothing but the truth.
Editor, notices for all meetings of the PAC are sent to all nine members of the PAC and advisors at the same time, so how is it, for over seven scheduled meetings, the PPP/C could not have two of its five competent members on the Committee available to form the quorum?
Is this not a deliberate effort to stall the work of the PAC?
It was the PPP/C who changed the rules of the quorum, now they are intentionally collapsing, stalling and stymieing the work of the PAC by their non-attendance.
The Minister further said “I rather suspect that Mr. Figueira is grieved and that he wants to use the PAC to gloss over that period of wasteful illegal spending by the APNU+AFC Government, pretending that it never happened, but I assure you it did and the evidence is there.”
Editor, this most absurd statement cannot be substantiated with any shred of evidence. As a matter of fact, the PAC meetings are aired live for all of Guyana and by extension the world to see. This new addition (live streaming) to the PAC came into effect under my Chairmanship of which I’m proud.
More media outlets, especially those with limited staff, no longer have to be physically present for those meetings. The viewership is increasing and more of Guyana is becoming aware of the work of the PAC. No one has ever made the claim that I as chairman of the committee is “glossing” over any period. As a matter of fact, some observers are of the view that I’m too accommodating of some members’ unbecoming attitudes inclusive of the goodly Minister.
Editor, permit me to make it abundantly clear, pellucid, and transparent as possible, that I hold no brief for any minister, permanent secretary, regional executive officer, or any other accounting officer that comes before the PAC, past or present. I am not responsible for their actions and if the evidence implies, suggests or proves that they were involved in any illegal conduct, the PAC will deal with those individuals accordingly, with respect to the laws of Guyana.
I will never defend wrongdoings, or any illegal acts of accounting officers entrusted with the people’s resources.
The Minister further said Mr. Figueira would be happy to conduct a PAC in the absence of the PPP/C, but they saw that coming, that’s why they changed the quorum to ensure that they have proper accountability.
Wow! Absolute utter foolishness from a minister of government. But this is not surprising!
What would make me happy is to have an effective working PAC executing the committee’s mandate for the people of Guyana and the evidence is clear with every cancelled PAC meeting why the quorum was changed.
Editor, Mr. Edghill in his last paragraph styled (fact 4) said the PPP/C is eager to expose findings in the AG’s report on the APNU+AFC’s time in office, but it is the same Minister and his party that refused to have the PAC meet twice per week to give effect to their eagerness.
Further Editor, Minister Edghill has confirmed what we always knew when he states in his so called (fact 3) that the PAC Chairman should consult with Minister Teixeira before he calls a meeting. The said Minister who stated in 2016 she feels that the presence of ministers on the Public Accounts Committee goes against the grain of the constitution and the Standing Orders, and she recognized that the PAC’s work involves the oversight and accountability of government expenditure. This man has some nerve!
He is proposing that the meeting of the PAC must now only be held if consent is gotten from the PPP’s prefect Minister. What the minister is effectively saying is, if Minister Gail Teixeira is available and has the time, we should have PAC. When the PPP’s prefect of the PAC is not available no other member avails themselves so that the meeting could not have a quorum.
That is what I as Chairman will strongly resist.
The agreed historically accepted day for statutory meetings of the Public Accounts Committee has always been Mondays. The former PPP/C Chairman of the PAC who is now the President of Guyana, should educate his minister on this. But if he wants it to be changed, let him give the country a day, because no day of the week now seems good for the PPP.
Editor, the entire country and the world is aware of Mondays as the day for PAC meetings, hence there is no reason why when Statutory meetings of the PCA are to be held the Chairman must have concurrence from the PPP lead minister.
Editor, given the track record of the PPP/C for meetings of the PAC and moreso since the rules of the quorum changed, when will the 2019 and 2020 Auditor General reports be examined?
This is the added transparency, accountability, and eagerness the PPP/C has brought with changing the quorum rules – less meetings of the PAC, more excuses and political shenanigans.
Editor, the longer we take to complete the examination of the prior year reports the less help we may have from the former accounting officers.
Editor the PPP/C refuses to agree to multi-year examination of AG reports despite knowing full well this was done before in the 10th and 11th Parliaments. In fact, it was agreed to at the request of Mr. Ali when he was chairman of the PAC.
It is reasonable to conclude that the issue is political, the PPP/C don’t want their current ills exposed.
Truth needs no justification.
Yours respectfully,
Jermaine Figueira MP
Public Accounts Committee
Chairman
