-following parliamentary flap

The PNCR is calling on the Auditor General to immediately undertake an audit of the Ministry of Housing and Water following Monday’s fallout in the National Assembly over what it described as “inadequate explanations” by Housing Minister Irfaan Ali regarding the expenditure of the additional $4 billion sought.

Speaking at their weekly press conference yesterday, party leaders urged the Auditor General to use his statutory powers and commence an audit of the Ministry and provide a report to the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament. “This report will form the basis for any punitive action that may be necessary for breach of the relevant Laws”

The main Opposition says it “will be pursuing this matter through the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly.”

According to the party “the arrogance displayed in the National Assembly by Government Ministers, particularly by rookie Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, as Government unilaterally passed $8 billion in supplementary provisions for 2009, cannot and will not be accepted by the PNCR.”   It was this “arrogance” which forced the party to walk out of the House, party leaders said.

The main Opposition said during the consideration of the Supplementary Appropriation (No.3 of 2009) Bill 2010, which totalled in excess of $ 8 billion, Ali “failed to provide details for the use of the funds and the timing of the spending of those resources.”

The party charged that the Finance Ministry had breached the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, which specifies the procedure for the withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Fund for use by the Government.

“The Act specifies that any such withdrawal requires the relevant Minister to come to the National Assembly immediately after such withdrawal is found necessary for approval.

The limited and evasive answers provided to the questions from opposition members were intended to obscure those breaches”, party leaders said yesterday.

Noting that Ali had said that the additional $4 billion was going to be used to provide 17,000 house lots for Guyanese, the PNCR argued that these broad explanations were not acceptable since they clouded accountability and transparency.

“The absence of detailed project profiles, outlining how the money would be spent, however, provides another opportunity for corruption as the Assembly would be in no position to monitor how such a large sum is being spent”, the party argued.