Earlier this month, the UDP Chaired Joint Public Accounts Committee summoned the PM to a meeting - the first time that has happened in history.
And according to the chairperson, it's because they haven't been able to produce any reports because they're not getting the financial statements necessary for them to do their work. Tracy Panton told us that the last one they had to review was for fiscal year 2014-2015. That's why they felt it necessary to call on the prime minister to intervene. And yesterday Briceno told us that they've got a major meeting planned for next month.
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"What will we do is that JPAC, when I met with them, you know they're going back and forth, back and forth, they remind me of the hamster in a wheel, spin spin and not moving, and I don't mean it disrespectfully, I use it as an analogy. And I said to the committee, listen to me, we could be here back and forth, lamenting, because as I told, and the chair agreed with me, these things are happening long before we got into government, this PUP government, so what we can do to fix it? So I suggested that in January, we're going to call another meeting, I will attend as Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance. I ask that they invite Minister Chris Coye, we're going to invite."
"The Financial Secretary, the Accountant General, the Auditor General, the head of the Treasury Department, all these levels and then the Minister for the Public Service for us to be able to talk and see what are the issues. Once we have made some decision at that level, we're going to have a second meeting and at the second meeting, we're going to bring in the technical people within the government to say, listen to me, you have to get this done. I cannot understand how a department can't balance their bank account every week or every month, that's basic economics and it upsets me when you're hearing these kinds of things so we have to address it. There is list of about 44 infractions from different ministries where there's allegation of stealing or pilfering, you pick a word, so I told the chair, and I have to remind him, I said give me a copy of that and I will ensure that ever minister gets a copy and I will tell any minister if there's anybody in this list that's working in your ministry, I want you to ensure that we take action against these people and if we have to take them to court, we will take them to court."
