Time to get tough

FORMER Deputy Auditor General Frederick Forde believes Government needs to put its foot down when dealing with those who fail to get audited financial statements to the auditor general on time, even if it means imposing fines or slapping them with jail time.

He was taking part in public forum hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAB) on Tuesday night, entitled “Enhancing Public Financial Accountability: The Role of the Auditor General”, where he stated that it is time to get serious about the concerns raised annually in the Auditor General’s report.

Forde explained that there are currently some 16 Ministries, 51 departments and approximately 77 parastatals in Barbados. He said while most Ministries seek to follow the rules and regulations, there are others that “create serious problems every year.

“So what I would suggest is that we need to reorder things.”

Giving his frank opinion during the panel discussion, Forde explained: “The Auditor General reports to Parliament through the Speaker of the House of Assembly, and parliament must take its responsibility seriously. Whether we introduce sanctions …you can’t have statutory boards or parastatals not submitting their audited financial statements. You have to do something about it,” he told the packed audience in the Savannah Hotel.

“There is a role for the public in dealing with the positions that they face. I find that we oftentimes sit back, quarrel, complain, but we don’t act. My view is that there is a lot of room for the debate to continue. Let us find workable solutions to resolving the issues that we face.

“There are good people and we have some people who are repeating these bad things. And we have to find ways as part of the way forward of sanctioning those permanent secretaries, heads of departments or heads of boards when they fail to deliver on the requirements of the law or the objectives of government. You can’t just sit back and let it slide. Parliament has to be leading the charge.”

According to Forde, the Public Accounts Committee has enough power to consider what offences are being committed. “And when offences are committed then I think you can charge persons $25 000 or two years imprisonment. You have to get serious about these things,” he challenged.

Forde, also lamented that there are people who try to beat the system, while others simply do not know what they are doing.

“I’ve worked in ministries and departments whereas the accounting information, you create a system and then people go around that system. When people go around that system it is very difficult to identify the liability in relation to who has created a breech because of collusion.

“We need to look at the way appointments and promotions are made in the civil service. One of the issues that we face when it comes to appointments and promotions… I know that enough emphasis is not placed on skill-sets. Sometimes a lot of emphasis is placed on “paper” (qualifications). Paper is definitely required but a person in a job has to know what he or she is doing,” he exhorted. (JH)