by Linda Straker
- Public Accounts Committee is chaired by Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre
- PAC’s role is to assess value for money of government projects, programmes, and service delivery
- PAC is core oversight mechanism of Parliament
Members of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as well as staff of the Audit Department and people serving as members on statutory body boards, were told on Tuesday, 16 December, that the role of the PAC, which is chaired by Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre, is very important, and it is to create openness in government finances.
“The Public Accounts Committee, the PAC, is the most important committee of any parliament. The foundation of this committee’s existence is to create greater openness in government finances. It is based on the belief that transparent budgetary practices can ensure that public funds are being spent as promised by the government while maximising the benefits derived from spending,” said Cora Richardson-Hodge, Premier of Anguilla, during an awareness seminar via video conference. “A crucial component of a transparent system of public spending involves an independent assurance of the integrity of public spending through an audit process and by scrutiny of its outcomes by some elected representatives in Parliament,” Richardson-Hodge said.
“The PAC does not concern itself with the policy of any public administration. Its interest is whether the policy is carried out efficiently, effectively, and economically. The PAC’s role is to assess the value for money of government projects, programmes, and service delivery.” Richardson-Hodge served in the capacity of Opposition Leader up until the February 2025 General Elections in Anguilla.
She explained that the PAC works by scrutinising the financial expenditure of the government and the taxpayers’ money, ensuring transparency and accountability within government, and making recommendations to ensure taxpayers receive the best value for money on government spending.
“Drawing on the work of external auditors, the PAC takes evidence from senior government officials, publishes its report, and provides recommendations to which the government must respond publicly. Ultimately, the PAC is the primary parliamentary committee which ensures that good governance principles are upheld in public administration,” she told the seminar.
In her remarks, Opposition Leader Emmalin Pierre said that the Public Accounts Committee occupies a unique and vital position within the parliamentary democracy system, which Grenada has adopted since gaining Independence in 1974. “It is not a partisan body, nor is it an administrative authority. Rather, it is a core oversight mechanism of Parliament, entrusted with safeguarding the public interest by ensuring that public funds are used lawfully, efficiently, and for their intended purposes,” she said.
Pierre became Opposition Leader following the stepping down of Dr Keith Mitchell in February 2025. “Through its examination of audited accounts and reports of the Director of Audit, the PAC reinforces the fundamental democratic principle that those entrusted with public resources must be answerable for their stewardship,” she said.
The authority of the Public Accounts Committee is firmly grounded in Grenada’s Parliament Standing Orders and reinforced by international best practice. Standing Order 69(1) establishes the PAC and “provides that it shall consist of not fewer than three and not more than five members, none of whom may be a member of Cabinet, a Minister, or a Parliamentary Secretary.”
Besides Pierre, the other members are Kate Lewis-Peters and Dr Clarice Modeste from the Lower House, and Salim Rahaman and Roderick St Clair from the Upper House. The awareness seminar was scheduled after PAC members participated in a training exercise at the UK Parliament in July 2025.
At that training, they had the opportunity to observe and participate in PAC hearings. Speaking about her experience during the training, MP Lewis-Peters said that during the educational exercise in England, one of the things learnt was that the PAC, despite its composition of members of the opposition and independent senators, is not a political body. “And this is very important because some of you might be seeing us here as members of the opposition belonging to a party. But this is just the standing order rules of the composition of the PAC,” she said. “But what is very important is that we are here to ensure that our taxpayers’ dollars are very important…that you have to work closely with the Auditor General, ensuring that the reports are very thorough and that from its investigation, we are able to provide for inquiries,” Lewis-Peters said.
