Effective system of Public Accountability still elusive

It was some two years ago that the government, through the 0inistry of )inance, developed a Budget Transparency Action 3lan (BTA3 which was intended to aid in the process of public accountability.

But even that has not been enough to help the coalition administration develop an effective system where public funds can be properly accounted for and insulated from various forms of abuse. This point was recently made by Chartered Accountant and former Auditor *eneral, Anand *oolsarran. He noted that the 3ublic Accounts Committee (3AC should impress upon the administration, the importance of having all actions contained in the BTA3 undertaken with alacrity, especially as they relate to the accountability timeframe. 8ntil this is achieved, coupled with appropriate sanctions for violations, *oolsarran said “we would be unable to assure ourselves that a strong and effective system of public accountability is in place to safeguard public funds and other resources of the State.´ According to )inance 0inister, :inston Jordan, the Budget Transparency Action 3lan is one that seeks to strengthen more than 10 areas of national accountability. These include public procurement, consultations on the budget and training of budget staff. High up on the action plan is to ensure that there are consultations with key stakeholders on proposals to be included in the 1ational Budget. Jordan said these stakeholders would include the political 2pposition, the 3rivate Sector Commission (3SC , Trades 8nion Congress, and relevant civil society organizations.

(Kaieteurnews)