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PM Urges PAC to Urgently Put Public Accounts In Order

Contact: Earl Bousquet

Thursday, September 30, 2004 - Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony has called on the new Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament to move swiftly to put the state of the public’s accounts together. He also called on the PAC to ensure that all outstanding accounting records for public funds are reconciled or accounted for.

Parliament last Tuesday approved the appointment of new Leader of the Opposition Marcus Nicholas as the new Chairman of the Public accounts Committee – a bipartisan committee of MPs charged with ensuring all public funds are constantly and properly accounted for.

With many years of annual national accounts still outstanding, the new Chairman promised that the committee will meet soon to get down to work.

Former Opposition Leader Arsene James, who relinquished the position after he was replaced by Mr. Nicholas, congratulated his successor. He also urged Mr. Nicholas to ensure the PAC looked into “rumours” of possible eventual cost overruns relating to the South West Coast Road, construction of which is being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

The Prime Minister, during his contribution to the remarks that followed Mr. Nicholas’ appointment, urged Mr. James to remember that the outstanding public accounts also related to the period before the change of government in 1997.
 

He said among the outstanding accounts to be reconciled were the $43 million Darling Road CDC Housing Project and expenditure on the Cul de Sac Valley project, including $16 million spent on preparing the site currently used for the Assou Square celebrations.
 

The Prime Minister called for “the cooperation of all present and former MPs” in putting the record of public accounts together and served notice on the former opposition leader that he may be called upon to validate his allegations regarding the South West Coast Road.
 

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