The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today dragged the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) over the coals due to its failure to submit its Financial Statement for 2022 to the Office of the Auditor General, in keeping with the statutory deadline.

Statutorily, government agencies are expected to submit their Financial Statements to the Audit Office by the end of February. However, the NDIA is among eight (8) statutory bodies under the Ministry of Agriculture, that have failed to submit their Financial Statements on time, with some dating back to as far as 2015.

Today, NDIA felt the brunt of the criticisms as the PAC, chaired by Opposition Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira, met at the Public Buildings to consider the Audit Report for the Ministry of Agriculture for 2019.

Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul told the Committee that it is unacceptable for the authority to be consistently late with its financial statements, when it continues to receive billions of tax-payer dollars each year. In 2022, NDIA received approximately $12B.

“Billions of dollars are budgeted and allocated to NDIA yearly, as you rightfully said, in 2022 Budget, it was $12B. We are looking at 2019, $5.6B; every year it keeps growing but we need to ensure that we have accountability and transparency in a timely manner for these monies, and I am finding it difficult to accept that it is a work in progress, knowing that these offices have been existing for years. So, I believe it needs to stop being a work in progress and really and truly zone in, into putting these measures in place to ensure that there is accountability and transparency,” MP Mahipaul told the Committee.

NDIA Chief Executive Officer (ag), Dave Hicks told the Committee that the process of verifying the authority’s asset across the country is stalling the submission of the Financial Report to the Audit Office.

“We operate in 10 regions, and part of the financial assessments would include what we call asset verification, and this require, the officer to visit each and every piece of equipment throughout the country, Regions 1, 7, and 9. So, that process, is more of a lengthy time, it depends on weather, and generally, that is what is causing the delay,” Mr Hicks explained.

He said with the exception of Region Six, NDIA does not have administrative staff in the other regions, only technical personnel, and it is for that reason that an administrative officer would have to travel region to region to verify the authority’s assets.

Though not admitting that the NDIA is understaffed, Mr Hicks, in response to a series of questions posed by MP Mahipaul, underscored the need for the drainage and irrigation authority to be further decentralized through the creation of additional offices in the regions. He said such a move would fast track the process of compiling its Financial Statements.

But Mr Hicks’ explanation did not sit well with Government Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira and Member of Parliament, Dharamkumar Seeraj, who both enquired about whether or not there was an asset register in place. It was explained that while NDIA has a register of the assets, there is still need for verification. That register is expected to be handed over to the PAC within two weeks. 

Financial Statements are outstanding for the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), Guyana Marketing Corporation, Hope Coconut Estate, and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Once submitted by February, the Financial Statements are expected to be audited by the Auditor General by April 30 each year for the previous year.

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