by Linda Straker
- PAC January 2025 meeting will be first since ceremonial opening of 11th Parliament which began in September 2022
- Dr Keith Mitchell is Opposition Leader and PAC Chairman in Lower House of Parliament
- PAC has to examine Audited Accounts of the State, accounts of corporations, boards and other bodies appointed by Government
Several key public officers will appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in January 2025 to provide further information on the expenditure and revenue of government funds.
Dr Keith Mitchell, Opposition Leader and PAC Chairman in the Lower House of Parliament, disclosed that he will be calling the meeting to discuss audited accounts of government and other matters pertaining to the budgeting of government funds.
This will be the first PAC meeting since the ceremonial opening of the 11th Parliament in September 2022, following the June 2022 General Elections. Audit accounts for 2016 to 2019 were recently laid in the Lower House of Parliament.
Dr Mitchell stated in an interview that, as PAC Chairman, he will be calling several relevant public officers to a committee meeting to gain a better understanding of government finances. “We just have to do what we perceive is important as far as the issue of budgeting is concerned and what is necessary for the country’s future,” he said.
The other members of the PAC are Dr Clarice Modeste and Kate Lewis in the Lower House, and Roderick St Clair and Salim Rahaman in the Upper House.
“As Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee I believe that I have to look into it, we have to call a meeting of the PAC with the accounts department and different levels and find out exactly what is going on,” Dr Mitchell said. “We have just been presented with audited accounts recently. We will have the first meeting of the public accounts in January 2025 and we should have the information, specifically based on data that we received then I will be more specific.” Dr Mitchell said that one of the goals is to know if the problem facing the government is cash flow or overdraft.
The Public Accounts Committee has to examine the Audited Accounts of the State as well as the accounts of Corporations, Boards and other Bodies appointed by the Government, and report to the House.
