AGs reports to be tabled in new parliament

The Office of the Auditor General has revealed that they have been auditing the accounts of government every year and presenting their reports to cabinet.

The office said under the State Services Decree they are required to do this and they are complying with the decree.

When parliament sits after the September elections, they will present the Auditor General’s report to the Speaker of the House as stated in the 2013 Constitution.

The Auditor General’s Office is currently working on its 2013 reports.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the United Front for a Democratic Fiji, Mick Beddoes has called on the government to release the Auditor General’s Reports to 2013.

He said according to the budget estimates and actual expenses, the current government have spent some $14.8 billion up to 2013.

Beddoes has questioned the Prime Minister and Attorney General on whether accounts of the government have been audited.

He also said if the accounts have been audited, why they have not been released.

Beddoes also raises expenditure allocations from 2012 to 2014 for Qorvis Communications amounting to $3 million, public service broadcast for TV and Radio amounting to $8.7 million, Ministry of Information allocation of $14.8 million and the allocation for new vehicle leasing arrangements.

At the time of the announcement in 2009, the vehicle leasing arrangement stood at $9.7 million a year.

Beddoes questions which companies are involved in the leasing of the vehicles to the government, what is their annual share and what are the terms of the leasing contract.

We have requested Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum for an interview.

He is yet to respond.

However he had earlier stated that all Auditor General’s reports will be tabled in the next parliament.

After the dissolution of the Public Accounts Committee in March this year, Sayed-Khaiyum had also said that a new Public Accounts Committee chaired by the Opposition will be formed once Parliament resumes.

The Attorney General had stated that when it does, all of the reports compiled by the Auditor General will be considered by the Committee and be tabled in Parliament.

Sayed-Khaiyum said that in the meantime, the Office of the Auditor General is preparing and compiling all of the relevant reports for presentation to Parliament.

He said that with the General Election taking place in September this year, it is important that we step up preparations for the transition to the new Parliament now.