The main opposition is urging the government to provide audited accounts for the Guyana leg of the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 Tournament in a timely manner.
PNCR MP Lance Carberry said last week that given the government’s continuous disregard for financial regulations, his party is not optimistic that these accounts will be produced and made available. He noted that despite the PNCR’s repeated calls, the government is yet to produce audited financial statements for the 2005 flood and the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Despite repeated promises, the government has also failed to produce accounts for the hosting of the Carifesta X activities in 2008.
Recently, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon told reporters that the financial obligations of the government to host the Twenty20 matches were different from those when the country hosted Cricket World Cup in 2007. He said that the government did not “have the obligation of the Cricket World Cup to make that financial outlay which would be reimbursed by the proceeds of the matches.” He said that unlike what obtained in 2007, the cost of hosting teams and providing security was now the responsibility of the organisers.
Luncheon noted, however, that the government was still required to make financial contributions towards hosting the event. “My understanding is whatever the government has had to contribute to the activity is what we call Legacy contributions… these include sprucing up the stadium and cleaning the place…” he said. Asked how much money the government would spend to host the matches, Luncheon said that some millions were set aside to improve the physical environment of the country. “I know we agreed to spend a couple million dollars to do some patch work, cleaning up around the environment…,” Luncheon said. He said too that additional funds may have been required to rehabilitate the stadium but said that this would have been determined after an assessment of the facility.
Meanwhile, Luncheon explained that similar to when the country hosted the World Cup in 2007, Guyana will be collecting some of the revenue earned from the sale of tickets. He said this would be in addition to other income earned from the activities of the tourists.
