PM Says J-PAC Will Take Action in January

Prime Minister John Briceño

Earlier this month, the Joint Public Accounts Committee (J-PAC) met with Prime Minister John Briceño, as the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment. And following meetings with the Financial Secretary, Accountant General, and Auditor General on the needs and urgency to bring up to speed outstanding Financial Reports, the committee agreed to seek an audience with the PM to discuss the reports that date back to the financial year 2015-2016 to present. The committee members believe that they have not been able to carry out their mandate, to scrutinize and provide oversight of the use of the public funds. The last national audit report produced was for the financial year 2014-2015. As a result, the Accountant General and the Auditor General have also been having problems in conducting their duties within the deadlines, as outlined in the Finance and Audit Reform Act. The Prime Minister says that the problem will be rectified definitively in due course.  

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I suggested that in January, they call a meeting. I will attend as Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance. I’ll be inviting – they’ll be inviting Minister Chris Coye, the Financial Secretary, the Auditor General, the Accountant General, the Head of the Treasury Department, all these levels, and then the Minister for the Public Service. We’ll be able to talk and see what are the issues. Once we have made some decisions at that level, we’re going to have a second meeting. And at the second meeting, they are going to bring in the technical people within the government, to say, listen to me, you have to get this done. I cannot understand how a department can’t balance a bank account every week, man, or every month. That’s basic economics, you know. And it upsets me when you hear these kinds of things, so we have to adjust it. There’s a list of about 44 infractions from different ministries where there are allegations of stealing or preferring, you pick a word. So I told the chair, and for sure, I really have to remind her, I don’t get the copy – I said, give me a copy of that and I will ensure that every minister gets a copy, and I will tell every minister if there’s anybody on this list that is working in your ministry, I want you to ensure that we take action against these people, and if we have to take them to court, we will take them to court.”