By Tahna Weston
Head of the Public Accounts Committee, Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle, is still waiting for the audited financial statements of government statutory corporations, even as the committee is set to meet next month.
Pringle says despite having made written requests to Finance Minister Prime Minister Gaston Browne prior to the last budget presentation in December, no move has been made to make the documents available.
He said the committee is due to meet on July 8.
Two weeks’ notice was given to the committee members, by way of a letter dated June 14, notifying them of the meeting, the committee said.
“No, I have not received them up to date. I wrote to the Prime Minister…asking for the audited accounts for the various departments of government and I am yet to receive any of those accounts or even a response from the Prime Minister.
“What actually is in process now is for a Public Accounts Committee meeting. I would have in the last session of Parliament … requested certain financials. We are just about to convene a meeting for this session of the Public Accounts Committee which was appointed when this session started and from there I have a meeting scheduled with the Director of Audit,” Pringle said.
While Pringle admits that he has not recently written to PM Browne concerning his non-response or the fact that over six months have passed since his request was made, he said a significant amount of the audited statements have not been submitted.
Pringle said he has thus far only received the financial accounts for State Insurance Corporation and the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA).
He noted that he has not received any document from the National Asset Management Company (NAMCO), National Housing, the Antigua Port Authority, or the Board of Education.
According to Pringle, he has never received any financial statements from NAMCO or National Housing since being appointed as head of the Public Accounts Committee some six years ago.
The committee consists of five members – three appointed by the government and two from the opposition benches.
In earlier interviews the Opposition Leader stated that not having the financial statements was frustrating the work of the committee.
In February, the Director of Audit Dean Evanson, who Pringle is planning on meeting with, told Observer that technical issues with the Treasury Department’s accounting system were hindering the submission of up-to-date reports.
