Several key Budget Agencies have informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament that they are working to bring their financial audits up to date. These include the Department of Public Information (DPI) and the National Communications Network (NCN).
Responding to questions from members of the Public Accounts Committee last week, the agency heads explained that they are focused on completing their financial audits for the years 2017 – 2021. As it relates to DPI, Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Prime Minister’s office, Derrick Cummings told the committee that they are currently finalizing the audit for 2019 which should be completed within the next two weeks. He stated that audit reports for 2020 and 2021 are scheduled to be completed in March and April respectively.
Head of NCN, Neaz Subhan, explained to the committee that the 2018 and 2019 reports were completed in October 2021, while the 2020 report is awaiting the approval of the AGM and that they are working on completing the audit for 2021. He noted that the field work was completed and the information was submitted to management and then forwarded to the Auditor General’s office.
Secretary of the Integrity Commission Dr Amanda Jaisingh said that the commission managed to complete all reports for the period in question. She noted that the completed reports were forwarded to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance to be laid in the National Assembly.
According to the 2019 audit report, these bodies were subject to separate financial reporting and audit. However, the Offices continued to breach Section 80, Sub-sections (1) and (3) (c) of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act of 2003, which requires that statutory bodies “…as soon as is practicable and in all events not later than four months after the end of the fiscal year established for that statutory body…submit an annual report to the concerned Minister… which shall include…a report prepared by the Auditor General on the financial statements of the statutory body”.
In the report, the AG’s office said DPI’s last audited financial report was in 2013 while the Integrity Commission’s was in 2016. It further stated that NCN’s last audit was 2018 but the last report laid in parliament was 2016.
“The Audit Office recommends that the Head of Budget Agency ensure that all audited accounts are laid in the National Assembly, promptly,” the report stated.
It was in light of these recommendations, APNU+AFC members of the committee, Juretha Fernandes and Ganesh Mahipaul, asked the bodies to provide an update on their financial reports.
