Accountability Watch

Last week, we began a discussion of our country’s performance on governance, transparency and accountability in 2014.

Last year around this time, we carried three consecutive articles entitled “Governance, Transparency and Accountability: Priorities for 2014”.

Last week, we began a discussion of the Government’s ICT programme which effectively commenced in 2010.

Good and honourable intentions, vigorously pursued to finality, are more likely to produce the desired outcomes.

Last week, we discussed the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index which rated Guyana at 124 out of 175 countries surveyed with a score of 30 out of 100, the lowest in the Caribbean, except for Haiti.

Democracy and accountability are the twin sides of the same coin.

On 29 November 2014, the Government announced a five per cent increase in the wages and salaries for public servants earning in excess of $50,000 per month and an eight per cent increase for those earning less than $50,000, retroactive to 1 January 2014.

Last week, we discussed the reason the President cited for proroguing Parliament as his belief that the Parliamentary Opposition wanted to disrupt Government’s business by forcing a debate on their no confidence motion.

So the President has made good his threat to prorogue Parliament!

Some years ago, when I was at the Audit Office, a letter was mistakenly sent to the Attorney General.

This is our third in a series of articles on the above subject.

As I was about to prepare this article, two news items caught my eyes.

In Guyana, public procurement accounts for approximately $150 billion or 70 per cent of the national budget.

Last week’s article provoked quite a reaction from two bloggers who feature every day in the Stabroek News.

On 27 October 2014, citizens across Ontario, including the cities of Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton where most of the estimated 100,000 Guyanese in Canada live, will be electing new Mayors and City Councillors.

Another controversy has erupted in relation to the design and construction of the Specialty Hospital at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara.

In the light of the public outrage at the extent to which certain foreign companies are reported to be carrying out logging operations in Guyana and exporting logs, I have decided to examine the Forests Act 2009 to have a better understanding of it and to share that understanding with readers.

In today’s column, we discuss a recent experience in trying to obtain information under the Access to Information Act that the National Assembly passed the Act in September 2011 to provide citizens with reasonable access to information on government programmes and activities.

Since my last article, two further developments took place as regards the allegations that the Minister of Finance has been undermining the authority of Parliament by authorizing withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund without the latter’s authority.

Since my last article on the above subject, two developments took place.