Following calls for his removal, Town Clerk, Royston King has deemed information being peddled in the media as “glaringly inaccurate”.
Georgetown Deputy Mayor, Sherod Duncan, during an interview with the News Room on Wednesday, called for the removal of King after a recent audit which examined the $300M which was allotted for the City’s restoration project that ended December 31 last year. It was highlighted in the audit that over 200 payment vouchers contained discrepancies either with no evidence of the payment being certified by the accountant or any other authorized officer.
Duncan noted that “the town Clerk is a chief administrating officer, of City Hall and so this falls squarely at the feet of the Town Clerk and the Town Clerk must be accountable for what happens under his watch.” He also called for the city Treasurer to go.
In a lengthy letter to the editor in today’s edition of the Kaieteur News, King said the audit only revealed certain shortcomings and weaknesses in the system; one objective of any audit.
He noted that the council welcomes “any discussion, audit or findings that would facilitate improvements of our systems.”
King said the “discrepancies found are largely due to carelessness and lack of diligence on the part of the department with direct responsibilities for such matters. Nevertheless, since that report, the administration has taken a new approach with a view to securing the integrity of its financial procedures, processes and systems and to ensuring strict adherence to the relevant bylaws and policies.”
Among the remedies being undertaken is a comprehensive training programme particularly in the area of good corporate governance, the town clerk said.
Assuring that he is not against the audit, he said the council must be subjected to audits to continually strengthen and improve its ability to account for its resources and to be more efficient and effective in its specific and general responsibilities to local communities and the city.
