Joint Public Accounts Committee Meets in Belmopan

Last week, a group of social partner senators came forward in the media when their call for a meeting of the Joint Public Accounts Committee went unanswered.  At the time, the chair of the taskforce told News Five that her parliamentary colleagues could have simply made the request via phone.  This was after only one meeting being held since the beginning of the year.  Nonetheless, the standing committee of the House of Representatives held its third working meeting in camera today. The session was held inside the committee room of the National Assembly. There they met with Financial Secretary Joseph Waight and discussed matters and concerns in respect of the backlog of the Auditor General’s Report, as well as the annual accounts that are to be submitted the Auditor General.  Additionally, the committee discussed the issue of the Auditor General’s post being vacant for too long.  It was agreed that the post must be filled with urgency and consequently, measures will be taken by JPAC to reach out to the Prime Minister’s Office to have the vacancy filled.