Anand Goolsarran

Last Wednesday, the President and the Opposition Leader met to discuss the way forward, following the 21 December 2018 vote of no confidence in the Government.

The law is reason, free from passion … Man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all… He who trusts any man with supreme power gives it to a wild beast, for such his appetite sometimes makes him: passion influences those in power, even the best of men, but law is reason without desire …     Aristotle Last Thursday, the National Assembly met to discuss, among others, the consequences of the successful passage of the vote of no confidence in the Government.

The anti-corruption court in Pakistan has convicted and sentenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to seven years’ imprisonment for failing to justify the source of income relating to his ownership of a steel mill in Saudi Arabia.

Before proceeding with today’s article, three recent events that took place are worthy of commentary.

Last week, we began a discussion of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 2019 which have since been approved by the National Assembly.

Yesterday was International Anti-Corruption Day. It marks 15 years since the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) was adopted as well as 25 years since Transparency International came into being.

The Minister of Public Health and chairperson of the PNCR is reported to have stated that priority would be given to party members in the award of government contracts and in the employment of persons in government.

Today is Budget Day. The year 2019 would mark the fourth year for which the national budget is presented to and approved by the National Assembly before the year begins.

In our last two columns, we discussed three aspects of the 2017 Auditor General’s report, namely:  overall opinion given on the country’s accounts which we felt was not supported by adequate audit evidence; the Executive Summary which did not appear to capture the essence of the report; and the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Government.

Last week, we began a discussion of the 2017 Auditor General’s report.

The Auditor General completed his audit of the Government’s accounts for the year ended 31 December 2017.

The debate on conflict of interest has once again surfaced in the news.

If corruption is a disease, transparency is an essential part of its treatment.

On 18 September 2017, the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) received a request from the political opposition to investigate the award of the contract to LievenseCSO for the conduct of a feasibility study and design of the proposed New Demerara Bridge.

We had refrained from any commentary on the recent incident involving a sitting Minister of the Government, to allow for the police to carry out their investigation.

Last week, we began a discussion on the article published in the New York Times on 20 July 2018 under the caption “The $20 Billion Question for Guyana”.

The article dated 20 July 2018 appearing in the New York Times under the caption “The $20 Billion Question for Guyana” has generated quite a reaction locally for its portrayal of what most Guyanese would consider an unfair assessment of the state of affairs of Guyana and of its peoples.

Over the last two weeks or so, the print media have been carrying reports of another apparent irregularity in the procurement of drugs and medical supplies at the Ministry of Public Health.

The Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI) featured prominently in last week’s news, following a media briefing by board officials at which the urgent need for the approval of increases in toll fees for vehicles and vessels using the Bridge, was highlighted.

Two weeks ago, the police in Malaysia raided 12 properties linked to former Prime Minister Najib Razak in a money-laundering investigation.