Accountability Watch

Tomorrow, Transparency International will be releasing its 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) based on surveys carried out in 180 countries.

Last Monday was Budget Day 2024 – the day that everyone was looking forward to for an assessment of the performance of the country’s economy in 2023 and its state of affairs at the end of that year.

In last week’s article, we referred to the exchanges between Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-law Christopher Ram, and the Attorney General as to whether the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) has been overstated to the extent of ExxonMobil’s subsidiaries tax liabilities that are required to be paid over to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Before proceeding with today’s article, we would like to comment on the exchanges between Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-law Christopher Ram, and the Attorney General in relation to the apparent overstatement of the balance on the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) account.

On 11 December 2023, the audited public accounts for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2022 along with the report of the Auditor General thereon were presented to the National Assembly.

During the period between the passing of the vote of no confidence in the previous Government on 21 December 2018 and the swearing in of the President Irfaan Ali on 2 August 2020, we had carried a total of 40 articles on the election-rated matters, including the outcomes of the various court cases that were filed.

After a much deserved two months’ break, we resume our column today by commencing a review of the Auditor General’s report on the audit of the public accounts of Guyana for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2022.

Last week, former Nigerian oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, appeared in court in London charged with receiving bribes in the form of cash, luxury goods, flights on private jets and the use of high-end properties in Britain in return for awarding billions of dollars in oil contracts.

The Speaker of Canada’s House of Commons lower chamber is resigning from the position for publicly praising Yaroslav Hunka, a former Nazi soldier.

If we are to meet the 1.5-degree limit and protect ourselves from climate extremes, climate champions, particularly in the developing world, need solidarity.

In a recent interview with the Stabroek News, outgoing United States Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch stated the United States government does not involve itself in negotiations on behalf of its private sector and that it acts only as a facilitator to ensure companies know what investment options are available in foreign territories.

Last Monday, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) issued a media release in which it stated that it has offered no objection to the IHS Markit report that identified US$214.4 million in pre-contract recoverable costs that the Government has reasonable grounds for disputing.

Last Wednesday, the military seized power in the Central African state of Gabon and placed the President Ali Bongo under house arrest.

Last Monday, voters in Ecuador approved of two referendums to ban oil drilling in the Yasuni nature reserve in the Amazon Basin, and mining in the Choco Andino forest outside Quito, the capital.

The effects of rising temperatures continue to take a toll in several countries.

In the Hawaii island of Maui, at least 93 persons have died and hundreds of persons reported missing, as a result of wildfires that began last Tuesday.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on corruption charges.

Humanity is in the hot seat. For vast parts of North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, it is a cruel summer.

Last week, Singapore’s Transport Minister, S. Iswaran, and a hotel tycoon, Ong Beng Seng, were arrested on allegations of corruption, following a probe by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.

The United States has banned former Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez from entering the country because of his “involvement in significant corruption”.