Auditor General (AG) Deodat Sharma on Monday presented the 2023 Auditor General’s report to Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir.
The presentation was held at the Public Buildings in Georgetown in the presence of Members of Parliament from both the government and opposition benches and officers from various accounting agencies.
Following this presentation, the report will have to be laid in the National Assembly at which time it will become a public document. While the AG is not permitted to share contents of the Report until it is taken to the House, he did tell the News Room that overpayments flagged were recovered.
“Until the Report is laid then it becomes a public document so I cannot comment on any aspect of the Report. But I must say, following last year where there was over payment, I think this year also, all of the overpayments were recovered.”
Meanwhile, Sharma also said his office has been engaging public agencies on the significance of performance audits.
“The Audit Office of Guyana has been diligently working to ensure that entities and their relevant personnel grasp the significance of performance audits. This is a new type of audit that we are doing than the financial audit on the public accounts,” Sharma shared during his presentation.
Such commitment, he said, was evident when 142 officers from the public sector participated in two one-day workshop held in March.
In fact, dozens of other officers engaged in training in and out of Guyana as the Audit Office acknowledges that ongoing learning and development are essential for fulfilling its mandate effectively.
Speaker Nadir commended these efforts and the training opportunities extended to staff. He pointed out, though, that while many persons view the AG’s report as gospel, it is not.
“It is a document expressing an opinion of the accounts generated…and everyone is given an opportunity to have their say before the PAC.”
Accountant General Jennifer Trotman noted that the occasion ensures that accountability across government agencies is strengthened. “The AG’s report highlights our weaknesses within the accounting system. However, those weaknesses we use to ensure that we improve accountability and transparency across government.”
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Jermaine Figueira believes that much more can be achieved if the PAC meets more often.
“I think you need more staff and more money and we will continue to advocate for you to have all of the resources you need because we are seeing the results.”
But Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, who also offered comments, recalled that there were times in Guyana when there were no AG reports available. He urged the media to scrutinise the contents of the report to share not only weaknesses, but improvements.
 Deodat Sharma on Monday presented the 2023 Auditor General’s report to Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir.){kind=link}