00:00With just a few days to go before the scheduled reading of the mid-year budget review,
00:06the Prime Minister is putting the country on notice that the public accounts cannot be properly accounted for.
00:13A dilemma she blames on the former finance minister for the impasse with the Auditor General.
00:19As a result, Mr. Speaker, we have been unable to resolve the national accounts for two consecutive years.
00:27A very embarrassing state of affairs for any nation which prides itself on transparency, democracy and the rule of law.
00:36But we on this side will fix that. We will fix it.
00:41The imbroglio had developed after the Auditor General queried an understatement of $2.3 billion in the accounts.
00:49The Prime Minister says this was the direct result of the central bank not releasing the requested information.
00:57To allow the Auditor General to do her job on the direction of former finance minister Karl Minbert.
01:03That, she says, ends now.
01:05The accounts of the bank shall be audited annually by auditors who shall be appointed by the board each year.
01:13With the approval of whom?
01:14The minister.
01:15Notwithstanding 52-1, the minister may at any time require the Auditor General to examine and report the accounts of the bank.
01:27And the bank shall, not me, the bank shall, it is mandatory, the bank shall, the bank shall provide the Auditor General
01:35with all necessary and appropriate facilities for an examination.
01:41The minister of finance is instructed and advised to utilize Section 52 to send in the Auditor General into the central bank.
01:52However, the central bank is telling a different story.
01:56Earlier this week, the central bank said it was, in fact, the office of the Auditor General which declined to audit the accounts,
02:04saying the office was not in a position to accept the appointment as auditor for the year ended September 30, 2024.
02:12However, the bank also acknowledged that another firm, BDOTT,
02:17had been contracted to provide the services from the financial year beginning October 1, 2023.
02:24The prime minister did not acknowledge these disclosures in her parliamentary contribution today.
02:30Which firm did they take instead of utilizing the services of the constitutionally appointed office of the Auditor General?
02:38Let's find that out.
02:40Whom did you hire and where are those audited accounts?
02:42Who were the auditors?
02:44And with this government, everything was friend, family, and financiers, you know.
02:48So we might find another recusal in the cabinet to find out who recused and why they recused
02:53and which firm was hired.
02:55So, Minister of Finance, you have your job.
02:58Here is it.
02:5952.
03:00Send in the Auditor General.
03:02Let's find out where the money of the people of Trinidad will be working.
03:05The prime minister also raised red flags over other discrepancies,
03:10highlighted in the Auditor General's latest statement, which will soon be published.
03:15Other impediments cited by the Auditor General include prior period errors could not be verified,
03:26issues regarding the statement of loans or credits guaranteed by the state,
03:31questions related to the statement of public debt,
03:36omissions relating to the statement of off-balance sheet financing,
03:42inability of staff at the Auditor General's department to gain the relevant access to the
03:48Ministry of Education, and supporting documents were not provided to verify payments.
03:55As a result, sample expenditure of $1.5 billion could not be verified.
04:02$1.5 billion of taxpayers' money could not be verified.
04:09The mid-year budget review reading is scheduled for June 18th.
04:13Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
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