GOB will adhere to Auditor General’s recommendations
Since the release of the 2008-2009 Audit Report earlier this month there has been public disquiet regarding government expenditures. The report—tabled during the last sitting of the House of Representatives—recognizes several areas of concern including dubious transactions that have grown exponentially over a four-year period. In 2005 that figure stood at one hundred and forty-two million dollars but has since doubled as government’s preferred accounting system, SMARTSTREAM, reflects an outstanding balance of two hundred and eighty million dollars in March of 2009. That deficit, however, is only one of a number of matters brought to light by the auditor general’s findings and today Prime Minister Dean Barrow said that his administration needs to adhere to the recommendations made in the report.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“There is already in hand the recommendations, the work of experts, consultants that we obtained through the Caribbean Development Bank who dealt with the whole question of reforming the Finance and Audit Act and reforming the Finance and Stores orders. Perhaps more importantly the kind of day to day infrastructural rules for the financial operations of government. It’s just now a matter, and admittedly this is taking us far longer than I would have liked, but it’s just a matter of the drafts person actually putting the recommendations of the consultants into legislative form and I would hope that by the next session of the House of Representatives we would be able to introduce the new Finance and Audit Act and there under I would be able to perhaps by way of regulations then sign into law the expanded and revamped Finance and Stores orders. I think if we did that that would go a long way towards addressing some of the institutional longstanding concerns that the auditor general has pointed out.”
The Audit Report was gathered in November of 2009 and contained financial transactions conducted by both administrations during the period under review.
$280-million overspent in one year — a little more than $1-million for every day the government is open! Maybe if we closed government for a while, we could break even.
That also means every man, woman, and pickney in the country has to pay $1,000 EXTRA to pay the government’s overspending just for the last year.
We can’t spend beyond what we earn — why does the government?
The inevitable, logical conclusion of that policy is . .. . NATIONAL BANKRUPTCY.
I think we need to throw ALL the rascals out, blue and red, and start over with HONEST people.
New regulations – that’s all Barrow ever does. What about ENFORCING something – anything? We wouldn’t be in nearly as much mess as we are now if the OLD regulations were enforced.
Robert: You got it right!!! Government already has all working people’s salaries sqeezed to the hilt. They tax everything including the little monetary GIFTS that employers choose to give at the end of the year. Once upon a time GIFTS came with no strings attached…not now! Sometimes the gift isn’t even worth getting because of the 25% tax that will be deducted from it when it is added to that months pay cheque. Working is no fun anymore…one time I used to say I work because I love my job but now I slave only to pay Government and all its Crooks and I’m starting to hate working.