| …as stakeholders call for civil society oversightOpposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, isBharrat Jagdeoset to take up a position as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) when the National Assembly is reconvened,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, but the idea of him scrutinizing the expenditure of the final years of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is now a source of consternation for some.Former Chairperson of the PAC now Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, yesterday weighed in on the situation. She called on the public to utilize the opportunity to provide an added layer of scrutiny to the process.Her sentiments were echoed by General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis, who said that he did not have faith in the PPP/C scrutinizing its own expenditure.He said that civil society bodies such as labour should get involved in the process. Lawrence said that while Government will also be represented at the level of the Public Accounts Committee, the body will be chaired by the political opposition now led by Jagdeo.As such, she is saying to John Public, “Come, it is open to the public and they must utilize these forums and come so they can be a judge of the proceedings.”According to Lawrence,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, the reality in which Guyana now finds itself with regard to the scrutiny of the public expenditure is as a result of the system in place.“That is how the system is built, our Parliament is very small and this is an issue throughout the Caribbean where the chair of Public Accounts Committee may find himself in a position where he is scrutinizing their term in office.”She told media operatives that where the system finds some balance is,Cheap Jerseys From China, “You have the government. The (PAC) is open to the press in Guyana where you can come and sit in and hear the deliberations that are taking place.”Lawrence said, “The balance (also) comes where one sees oneself as representing the system within our country. If you take it personal you will not be achieving the objective of what the Public Accounts Committee (is about).She drew reference to her tenure as Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee.Lawrence told media operatives, “When I was in opposition that was not my mandate. My mandate from my party, the People’s National Congress (PNC), then, was to be a part of the PAC to ensure that the Laws and the Regulations were being followed.“Where there were discrepancies or oversight we needed to highlight that and ensure when that particular Ministry or Agency comes again before PAC you are seeing some improvement.”She did point out that this would have been the trend in the past few years when the now government was in opposition and would have been chairing the Public Accounts Committee. “I am hoping that, that trend will continue.”Meanwhile the GTUC General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis, expressed less optimism than the Minister.According to Lewis,Wholesale Jerseys China, “I believe that the society needs to get engaged in the activities of Parliament.”He is of the firm conviction that organizations such as labour need to get involved and “scrutinize those said activities and lay blame where it ought to be.”Speaking directly to Jagdeo being Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, Lewis told Kaieteur News, “I don’t expect him (Jagdeo) to question a number of the things; as such it will require agencies such as labour going in there and questioning it.”He conceded that while this is not catered for, “It ought to be.”Lewis said that it is not a case where the rules or law was bad but that it is the citizenry that needs to press for the activation of certain mechanisms, such as ones that would provide an additional layer of scrutiny when the Public Accounts Committee reopens for business.Lewis said that he believes that the current situation provides an opportunity for the system to be tweaked in order to allow for civil society bodies to become involved in the process.The Public Accounts Committee is tasked with,Wholesale Jerseys Store, among other things,Custom Indiana Pacers Jerseys, examining the audited accounts, as presented in the Auditor General’s Annual Reports. |
