Accountability Watch

The activation of the Public Procurement Commission

In the last few days, several controversial procurement issues were highlighted in the media, the latest being the Court battle and subsequent ruling in favour of the Government regarding the award of a contract for $4.6 billion for the Inter-American Development Bank-funded rehabilitation of the Guyana Power and Light’s medium voltage distribution.

Understanding the role of the Auditor General

In our column of 23 January 2017, we had stated that the Cabinet erred in assigning the transactions audit of NICIL to the Auditor General because the latter had given a “clean bill of health” on the accounts of NICIL for the years in question.

The 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index

Corruption strangles people, communities and nations. It weakens education and health, undermines electoral processes and reinforces injustices by perverting criminal justice systems and the rule of law.

Missteps in the D’Urban Park Project

It is legally, morally and ethically wrong to deny payments to suppliers or contractors who, in good faith, have supplied goods and services or have satisfactorily executed works… In the final analysis, it is the taxpaying public that must come to the rescue of meeting the financial obligations of the Project which, with careful planning, and a highest possible degree of competitiveness, transparency and accountability, would have resulted in significant cost savings.

Today is Budget Day 2017

Today is Budget Day. It is an important day since it is the first time in the history of Post-Independence Guyana, and perhaps earlier, that we are having a budget for the fiscal year before the beginning of the year begins.

Finance Minister versus Auditor General: Setting the records straight

Every system of public accountability should embrace the following: (a) every act or action is done openly according to law and prudent judgment; (b) every actor is responsible for his or her action; (c) every act is documented and reported publicly; (d) every act or action is subject to independent, professional, non-partisan audit review and public reporting of the results; and (d) where the review shows that purposeful error has been made, prompt corrective action, including punishment where appropriate, is taken.   

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