Auditor’s office only public body to comply with law

| 12/01/2011

(CNS): The Auditor General’s Office tabled its own financial annual report for the fiscal year ending 2010 in the Legislative Assembly on Monday. The office is the first and only government entity to do so in compliance with the Public Management and Finance Law. Although all public authorities and ministries are required to have compiled and completed their accounts, had them audited, signed off by the relevant ministry and tabled in the Legislative Assembly before the year-end, no other government entity has managed to meet this legal requirement. The law also states that government should have compiled a full annual report of the entire public sector accounts, gazettedit and submitted to the LA five months and two weeks after the end of the financial year.

The AG’s report, which is audited by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, who offer an unqualified opinion, reveals that the office billed other government agencies just $1.5 milllion for auditing services, accounting for 72% of the office’s total operating revenue of just over $2 million. The office conducted five special reports, including an update on government accounts, the review of legal aid, the management and use of the government’s fuel card system, the expenditures on the internal police investigation Operation Tempura, and loans given by Boatswain Beach to its former director.

The report also revealed that the office had prepared a report for the Ministry of Education on the construction of the schools (which is not in the public domain) and assisted the RCIPS with the UCCI investigation relating to alleged theft at the university by the former president. As well as its work with the Public Accounts Committee, the report reveals the work the auditor does with Hazard Management. It explains how the office shifted its focus to assist in clearing the backlog of public accounts. It also reveals that the office managed to save money by not hiring consultants as planned, not replacing staff that left or employing temporary staff to cover for a maternity leave but covering the extra work within the existing team.

The kind of detail set out in the AG office’s report is what the Caymanian public should be able to see and access for all of the other 36 entities in government within six months of a financial year end. However, no other department has tabled its 2010 annual report in the Legislative Assembly. Although around a half dozen audits have now been completed on some statutory authorities who were in compliance with the law, those reports have not yet left their respective ministries and reached the country’s parliament, so they are not available for public scrutiny.

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  1. Joe Mamas says:

    Well its obvious what must be done.  They must fire the new auditor for making all the other public bodies look so lame.  Next the Premeir will call for a new bill that makes it legal for all Civil servants to not have to actually do any accounting of financials and just make up stories at the end of the year which is exactly what they are doing and have been doing for several years now.  The Caymanian way of ten to do the work of one has changed to ten to get payed to do the work of one but not having to do the work at all. 

  2. Anonymous Geek says:

    Where can I purchase one of these mugs? That thing is freakin’ awesome!

    • Anonymous says:

      "Where can I purchase one of these mugs? That thing is freakin’ awesome"

      I believe they are available at Nerds-R-Us, along with an awesome selection of pocket protectors.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Thanks Dan.

    The FCO, Governor, Mighty Mac and other MLA’s did not like you, all because you simply did your job unlike dozens of other senior Civil Servants.

    Thanks again for looking out and reporting on how our dollars were wasted and stolen.

    Caymanians should be ashamed at how they allowed you to be slaughtered by Government and politicians without sayin a word when all that you did was your job to protect our dollars.

    God Bless you with health for the New Year whereever you maybe.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      "God Bless you with health for the New Year whereever you maybe"

      Amen.

  4. Anonymous says:

    alot of this is down to dan dugay!

    • Anonymous says:

      Thanks

      I am glad to hear that the Office continues to meet its obligations under the PMFL. For the years I was there, we met our PMFL obligtions every year except the first one. As another poster said, the Office must lead by example.

      Good luck and best wishes to all in the Cayman Islands

  5. Anonymous says:

    Lovely! Leading by example – so sad they are the only ones able to effectively deal with their public duties 🙂