Public Acct Committee had 40+ plus cancellation; Figueira sees it as deliberate act by Govt to avoid accountability

In a recent statement Figueira, advised the PAC stands as a bastion of transparency, accountability, and provides responsible oversight for the allocation of public funds.

The cancellation of Monday’s meeting, which is statutory, he said, clearly proves the government’s chronic and deliberate plot to stymie the work of this very important committee of the national assembly. “Primarily, the government members who sit on this committee are deliberately absenting themselves, especially the government ministers who should not be there in the first place,” the MP explained.

In doing so he referenced Minister Gail Teixeira’s own words in parliament that “ministers of government should not sit on the PAC because of their commitments and heavy workload”.

Making known agreed with his parliamentary colleague when her statement was made in the past, he agrees with her even more now than ever. He pointed out government members continue to display a flagrant disregard for this crucial parliamentary oversight body, entrusted with the vital task of scrutinizing government’s financial matters.

Railing against the parliamentary lawlessness, Figueira highlighted the fact that the no-show imperils one of the guard rails of our democracy, handicapping the PAC’s capacity to function as a robust oversight mechanism to aid in the overarching principles of good governance.

The 2023 Transparency International (TI) Corruption Index flagged Guyana as a country with high corruption. François Valérian, TI Chair warned “corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check. When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people that suffer. Leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption.”

Addressing how government was able to handicap the PAC, the MP pointed out the government altered the Standing Order, mandating the presence of two government members for a quorum.

He said the Opposition, A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) opposed the change because it stymied the PAC’s work which the government argued was not its true intentions. “[B]ut a year and months later, it is clear as day, with the more that 40 cancellations of the committee’s meetings since this unnecessary and unwarranted change was made.”

The PAC continues to grapple with an alarming backlog of work, particularly in its present examination of the financial records for the year 2019, rendering it years behind in its essential work and we are in 2024, five years lagging behind, the chair pointed out.

It is important to note, he said, a fully functioning PAC is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy, providing a vital counterbalance to unchecked government actions and to ensure that accounting officers discharge their duties and responsibilities in accordance with the law and show respect in service to the people they serve.

The Chair has again appealed to government “to prioritise the prompt resumption of regular PAC meetings, by replacing the “hard working” ministers of government with two other competent members. He said such action is necessary “to address the backlog of work in a meaningful way, diligently executing the pivotal oversight duties for the people of Guyana, we all love.”