Auditor general’s recommendations not always met: report
The province’s auditor general, Terry Paddon has tabled his 2013 update on past years’ recommendations with the Speaker of the House of Assembly. Essentially the report highlights how government is doing in completing previous recommendations.
It contains details on the status of 622 recommendations made from 2008-11.
Only 71 per cent of recommendations made in 2010 and 2011 have been fully implemented or otherwise resolved. The auditor general wanted a completion rate of 80 per cent.
Only 79 per cent of recommendations made in 2008 have been fully implemented or otherwise resolved whereas the auditor general wanted at least 90 per cent within four years of his report.
However, 87 per cent of recommendations made in 2009 have been fully implemented or otherwise resolved meaning the goal has been met for that year.
Paddon told The Telegram that his office doesn’t prescribe which unmet recommendations should be tackled first.
“We leave it to the departments and agencies themselves to prioritize and deal with them as they see fit,” he said.
In areas where recommendations have only been partially met, he said it could be due to the logistics of the specific case.
“The fact that they are at least attempting to make some progress on it provides a little bit of comfort.” Government responded to the report in a news release. “Our government continues to make significant progress in implementing recommendations,” Finance Minister Charlene Johnson said in the release.
“When consideration has been given to recommendations that have been fully or partially implemented, departments and agencies have made progress on 92 per cent, or 575 of the 622 recommendations made from 2008 to 2011.”