Government praised for complying with law

| 01/11/2011

(CNS): Premier McKeeva Bush bestowed praise on civil servants this week, especially those in his own ministry, for complying with the law. For the first time since the Public Management and Finance Law came into effect in 2004, more than seven years ago, government has submitted the 2010/11 Consolidated Financial Statements to the Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick by the 31 October deadline, as prescribed by the finance law. Swarbrick has not yet commented on the quality and information submitted but Bush, who is also the minister of finance, said it demonstrated government’s commitment to improving public reporting. The premier, who is currently in China, said he was extremely pleased that the administration had met another important milestone.

“This adds to our achievement of meeting the deadline of 31 August for the submission of individual financial statements for government’s ministries, portfolios and offices and for its statutory authorities and government owned companies,” Bush stated in a release from government. “These two accomplishments demonstrate the government’s determination to improve public accountability and reporting.  I would like to particularly thank the staff of the treasury department and other civil servants who helped to achieve this important result.”

The PMFL requires government’s ministries, portfolios, offices, statutory authorities, companies and other public authorities to submit their annual financial statements to the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) by 31 August each year and the consolidated statements for the government and the entire public sector by 31 October of each year.

The first milestone was accomplished in August this year, when all the public sector submitted their 2010/11 financial statements to the OAG by the prescribed 31 August deadline.

Officials said the entire public sector unit of the treasury department spearheaded the exercise of consolidating the individual 2010/11 financial statements of the government’s 13 ministries, portfolios, offices and its 26 statutory authorities, government owned companies and other public entities into one set of accounts, which is referred to as the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Monday’s submission alongside that in August regarding the year that ended 30 June 2011 represents the first time since the PMFL took effect in 2004 that the deadlines have been met.  

The audit office will now examine the report and offer its comments before it becomes a public document. The public will be able to find out more about this process along with much more of the auditor general’s work at an open day at his offices in Anderson Square, George Town, tomorrow afternoon, starting at 1:00pm.

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  1. Analyzer says:

    Its great to see that a select few of the Civil Servants have raised the work ethics standards!!

    Now can we see the end of year results for 2004 thru 2009.

    ANYBODY can pluck a figure out of the air for 2010 and tell the public that the previous govt had a 81million dollar deficit and now we are operating with a 25million dollar surplus. Where are the facts????…………..there's none!! So who are you going to believe???

    Which sensible person will accept the 81mil deficit or the 25mil surplus without having proper accurate and complete financial accounts reviewed and signed off by the Auditor General.????

    After-all,. the premier has publicly stated that he himself is "no financial expert".

    Further, arent you all wondering why the premier announced a 3.2% salary increase for the Civil Servants earlier in 2011 and they still haven't received it as of today??…………….puuuuuure hot air……..he cant deliver what he doesnt have!!!  simple as that!!

    Aaiye boiye, these people……………makes one shake their head in disbelief……………..

     

  2. Dreadlock Holmes says:

    Well Mr. Premier I would like ad my own special praise to the Caymanian people for putting up with not having any government accounts for the past seven years.

    I would also like to commend everyone who continued to go to work and do their jobs and pay government fees. Not knowing where any of it went.

  3. Joe B says:

    Truly Pathetic.  But fitting.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Let us all just wait to see how good these "figures" are!!

    I await the verdict of the Auditor General, if he says it is a job well done then that is indeed praise.

    One last thing Mac aught to be very careful that he does not break an arm patting himself on the back…..or is he trying to get the knives out of his back. LOL

  5. Anonymous says:

    I showed up to work on time yesterday morning, did what was expected of me and didn't break any laws in the process.

    Clearly, I deserve a promotion!

  6. Dred says:

    So let's see they get praise for FINALLY doing their jobs after what 7 years and I have been doing my job for the past 8 years….hell I deserve several damn raises then not to mention praises but hell give them praises in the form of raises and I'll continue to do my job.

    Their year end is June right so it took them 4 months to turn in a set of books for financials. At my company ours if gift wrappened back to us in 3. Thats RETURNED folks not just given over but given, analyzed and approved off on in 3 months and these guys are struggling to HAND over in 4 months and when they finally do it for the 1st time in 7 years THEY GET PRAISE. Can you tell me what this is saying?

  7. Dred says:

    I have to say CNS you sure know how to make me bust a rib. I almost split myself in laughter…..Wait Wait the best part…..wait damn it…..the best part……wait for it……

    "Premier McKeeva Bush bestowed praise on civil servants this week, especially those in his own ministry, for complying with the law."

    You can't make that chit up.

    It is such a rare thing nowadays for the law to be abided by that it requires official praise via the media coming from someone who is currently being investigated himself….

    You know when I do my job I don't get an artical in the local online news wire. I sure am going to give it to them good in my next survey, I mean even McDinejad can priase his staff.

    You guys are so funny. I mean…..what thought proce.

    • Anonymous says:

      Exactly – compliance with the law should be natural, second nature and until we adopt a zero tolerance attitude to even small infractions of the law, things will continue to decay around here. 

    • Anonymous says:

      Well its nice to hear someone within government is finally managing to "comply with the law" given as most seem to think they are above it.

  8. What would Scooby Do? says:

    I commend the Premier for once again commending something that didn't need to be commended.  Well done!

  9. Anonymouse says:

    A milesstone ? For doing what they get paid for ! What I am missing here ? Congratulations from the Premier when he cannot comment to his own investigation or many many questions we have. How about giving us the public credit for not going crazy trying to just make ends meet and try and understand what is going on in our own Country ? Never ever stops to Amaze me and worst have to put up with this man until the next election ? While the civil servants are still waiting for their promised little raise,  he is spending it for a lot of foolishness. One day we have a surplus of $25 million, another day wheez broke ! go figure.

  10. Polly Tricks says:

    Complying with the law is what is expected in the rest of the world, it is not really worthy of praise.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Can we get our 3% back now ?

    I know many many civil servants and they are are extremely demotivated as a result of current government and the 3% salary cut.

     

    • Joe the Plumber says:

      Don’t give it to them! We pay first class wages for third class services. If the civil servants are so unhappy they could have left their jobs – they didn’t leave so we must still be paying them too much especially in benefits.

    • The lone Haranguer says:

      A lot of people in the private sector have had 100% salary cuts……..so public servants need to humble out !!

  12. Anonymous says:

    "Self praise is no praise at all."

  13. Anonymous says:

    Praised for doing what they are supposed to do. I real big pat on the back for you all that it took  7 years to finally complying with the law. I guess they deserve a raise now.

  14. Swine says:

    Say what now?? What are you going on about? Government workers being praised for doing their job?? Isnt that whats supposed to happen?

  15. The lone Haranguer says:

    Pretty sarcastic headline there sister.

  16. Anonymous says:

    Why do we praise people here for doing the job that they are being paid for.  All too often wages are looked upon as attendance money, and forget the fact they are there to work. The sooner someone with balls is on place and make people accountable for their lack of perfomance the better.

    • Anonymous says:

      This attitude starts in high school where all you need to graduate is good attendance and good behavior. Graduating has absolutely nothing to do with actually achieving anything academically for many who attend the schools here. Luckily, there are many students who do understand that study and hard work will take them on to great careers.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Bush has so many chief officers he damn well should be able to comply with the law. Ken Jefferson, Sonia McLaughlin, Dax Basdeo and Carson Ebanks. Plus as deputies, Leonard Dilbert, Dolton Watler, Kenneth Ebanks, Samuel Rose and probably others.

  18. Anonymous says:

    How is meeting a deadline a milsetone? Its called doing your job!

    • Anonymous says:

      It is a mile stone because it is so unusual.  It would be like Mr. Bush consulting the Cayman people before making decissions on Caymans future.  That would be a major milestone!!!!!

  19. Anonymous says:

    Getting it right don't just mean putting your homework in on time.  You got to get good marks too!