GRA disagrees with Auditor General on annual report delays
In fact, GRA CommissionerGeneral, Godfrey Statia told Kaieteur News that it is the Audit Office which has hit the pause button on the works needed to finalize the annual reports. The tax chief said that efforts in this regard have been put off until December.
Statia said that when it comes to the 2011 annual report, it is completed. A copy has been sent to Finance Minister Winston Jordan so that it can be laid in the National Assembly. Statia stated that GRA’s 2012 report is at the printers. As for the annual reports for 2013 to 2015, Statia said that the revenue authority is waiting on the Audit Office to finalize those. He said that the reports are still in draft stage.
The GRA CommissionerGeneral asserted, “Two weeks ago, I spoke to a staffer of the audit office. He said that they would not be able to come until December. So the Auditor General saying we are keeping it back is wrong and false, and he should change it.”
Statia added, “The revenue side of the reports has been audited. It is the expenditure side that is posing some issues, and the reason is that there was a mix up in the final accounts between certain statements and some reconciliation has to be done.” The tax chief revealed, “That has since been completed and the Auditor General was informed over a month ago that this was the case and we are waiting on him.” Statia emphasized that it is the Audit Office that is insisting it cannot deal with the work for the annual reports until December.
Auditor General Deodat Sharma had told Kaieteur News that the 2010 annual report for GRA was the last report to be laid in the National Assembly. This report was only handed over to the Parliament in 2015. Sharma contended that the revenue authority took quite a while to answer some of the questions in relation to annual reports for previous years. Be that as it may, he confirmed that the Audit Office is finished with reports for the years
Auditor General, Deodat Sharma 2011 and 2012. (Kaieteurnewsonline.com)