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  • 1 year ago
Auditor General Jaiwantee Ramdass is accused of being non-cooperative by Finance Minister Colm Imbert. He claims that she has refused to clarify a critical matter in the Special Report and has also not communicated with the Central Bank on two electronic systems that were in question.


The Minister views what has been transpiring, as a "continued campaign of non-cooperation and criticism" by Ramdass.


Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00The special report of the Auditor General on the public accounts for the financial year 2023.
00:05Finance Minister Coleman Burt laying that report in the House of Representatives
00:09and referring it to the Public Accounts Committee. Issuing a statement authorized by Cabinet,
00:15Inbert says the special report vindicates his ministry of Auditor General Jayawanti Ramdas'
00:21allegations. Her baseless assertion that the Ministry of Finance sought to unethically
00:29backdate the original 2023 accounts has been completely refuted. He states that the purpose
00:36of the special report was to clear the air on the controversy which arose from a $2.6 billion
00:42discrepancy during the audit of the 2023 public accounts which the government attributes to an
00:49overstatement of tax refunds and a subsequent under-reporting of net revenue. According to
00:55the Minister, an exit meeting to complete the special report was held on June 22, 2024 with
01:02staff from the Auditor General's office including its most senior auditors and they took a position.
01:09Openly expressed its satisfaction to the staff of the Ministry of Finance
01:15that the adjustment of $2.6 billion was appropriately accounted for. While Inbert
01:21believes the special report fails to provide that clarity that was needed for one specific reason.
01:28The Auditor General in her audit opinion on page 25 did not state that she was satisfied that the
01:34error in the public accounts for financial year 2023 was corrected. We view this omission on her
01:42part as a continuing campaign of non-cooperation and criticism of public officials in the Ministry
01:51of Finance by the Auditor General. As for an affidavit filed by Ramdas on September 5, 2024
01:58claiming that the central bank denied her access to its electronic check clearing system
02:04and therefore she could not carry out a proper audit which she stated in the special report
02:08Inbert has this to say. Although on September 5, 2024 the special report had not yet been laid in
02:17parliament and the premature disclosure of its contents is in our view a breach of process.
02:25It is clear to us that the premature publication of that emotionally charged affidavit in the
02:32Sunday Express was designed to evoke public sympathy. Inbert says the request to examine
02:38the system was made via email on June 24, 2024 by an official in Ramdas's office and the central
02:46bank requested further information on the scope of the examination to be carried out
02:51and expressed a willingness to meet with Ramdas. While it has received an outline of the scope of
02:56the proposed examination from a subordinate in the Auditor General's department, the bank has
03:03not yet received any correspondence from the Auditor General delegating authority to her staff
03:10to act on her behalf on this matter. The minister expresses hope that the Auditor General will
03:17respond to or meet with the governor of the central bank who he says has committed to
03:23meeting with her. Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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