2022 Auditor General released

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Perennial concerns raised in 2022 Auditor General Report

Ryan Straughn
Ryan Straughn, Minister in ministry of finance
Adrian Forde
Adrian Forde, Minister of the Environment

The annual spectacle of the 2022 Auditor General Report being laid in parliament has generated the usual palaver. This time around the big ticket issues raised feature the National Conservation Commission (NCC) and Wyndham Sam Lord’s Castle.

So far Minister Adrian Forde who is responsible for the NCC has quickly refuted concerns about fraud, however, he admitted the NCC breached government’s procurement policy (see page 67). Minister Ryan Straughn has refuted Auditor General Leigh Trotman’s finding of being unable to account for 165 million in spend incurred by the Sam Lord’s construction. Straughn explained that the Mia Mottley government took the decision on assuming office to take the project off budget to create fiscal space (see page 32). By the way, are we happy with Struaghn’s explanation to what happened with Four Seasons/Clearwater Bay transaction?

… even if the
information was made available, the personnel would not have been
there to complete them…

2022 Auditor General Report

The 2022 Auditor General Report is 143 pages and although some matters of concern raised may be legitimately refuted by government, it does not change the perennial concern raised by the Mr. Trotman. Our government is not doing an efficient job of managing public finances. Further, the Auditor General’s office is under resourced to be able to ensure adherence to government’s financial rules.

2022-Auditor-General-ReportDownload

62 thoughts on “2022 Auditor General released”


  1. No rules breached

    Straughn clears air on Sam Lord’s project financing

    by COLVILLE MOUNSEY
    colvillemounsey@nationnews.com

    MINISTER IN THE MINISTRY of Finance and Economic Affairs Ryan Straughn says Government did not breach any financial rules in the Sam Lord’s Castle Redevelopment project.
    Straughn was responding to the Auditor General’s 2022 report, which indicated that the funds expended were millions in excess of what was recorded under the Assets Under Construction Account. The report stated that some of the associated funds, not being voted in the Estimates, contravenes “Rule 60 (1) of the Financial Rules which requires that all expenditure must be provided for in the Estimates”.
    However, in an interview with the DAILY NATION yesterday, Straughn explained that upon coming to power, the Mia Amor Mottley administration, following discussions with the Chinese Exim Bank, decided to take the project off budget.
    He explained that this was done at the time to give Government the fiscal space to deal with several mission critical issues, which included the south coast sewage spills.
    “. . . We told the country that there was a mission critical agenda that must be pursued. We determined that the building of a luxury resort was not a priority for Government at the time. The [Democratic Labour Party] Government had already started the project at a time when the country was going through several serious social challenges. We determined that there had to be a different financing arrangement because we simply said that those expenditures should not in any way impair our ability to execute the mission critical agenda,” Straughn said.
    He further explained: “We came up with a different financing arrangement that allowed for the continuation of the construction without it impacting the fiscal budget. So the reference to the fact that monies should have been voted, would have been normal under the terms and conditions at the time when the DLP arranged the specific loan. We paused that arrangement and ensured that the expenditure remained off budget.”
    The minister made it clear that the St Philip-based Wyndham Grand Resort will be sold, “as Government has no interest in the ownership of hotels”.
    Yesterday, former Leader of the Opposition, Bishop Joseph Atherley as well as president of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Dr Ronnie Yearwood, called on the Ministry of Finance to “urgently clarify” the concerns raised in the report.
    The report indicated an inability to verify $165.5 million in spending by the authorities. Amounts totalling $165 482 732 were recorded by the Treasury as other operating expenses but supporting documentation for these transactions was not provided.
    Atherley called for stiffer penalties for Government offices delinquent in providing information to the Auditor General.
    “There must be serious questions around the $165 million in other expenses not properly accounted for. Now I don’t hear the auditor general laying the charge at anybody’s doorstep, but he is simply saying that we are operating in an environment where a lot of money is being expended and not properly accounted for,” Atherley said.
    His sentiments were echoed by Yearwood who stated: “I’m not going to pretend. Both political parties have been guilty of infractions over the years with regards to the Auditor General Report. The DLP has made a commitment to do better by the people. This BLP Government promised Barbadians that they would be different. This report shows in some instances things are the same or worse.”
    However, Straughn said that these perceived discrepancies can be explained by several factors.
    “I want to reiterate that over the course of the last five years we have been very targeted. In order to meet our targets from one year to another, where we have found space at the end of year, we have had the opportunity to go to Parliament and advance monies before the end of the financial year to state owned enterprises, which would be spent in the next financial year. In these cases it would reflect as more than the expenditure that was voted and therefore there is nothing in relation to breach of financial resources,” Straughn said.
    He also acknowledged that there have been challenges in the reconciliation of revenue data, as Government seeks to modernise its systems.
    “Different banks have been putting in their solutions. We have had some challenges with respect to some payments from overseas in terms of ensuring that we can have the appropriate reconciliation done. I believe that the Barbados Revenue Authority has been able to settle some of those issues,” he said.

    Source: Nation

    Reply ↓

    • Auditor General issues warning as procurement weaknesses uncovered at NCC

      Article by Marlon Madden
      Published on
      September 19, 2023

      The Office of the Auditor General has uncovered a string of weaknesses in procurement practices at the National Conservation Commission (NCC) and a case in which a senior official there contracted his own company to do work for a national clean-up programme.

      In his 2022 report, laid in Parliament last week, Auditor General Leigh Trotman flagged the procurement and payment for services provided by at least two suppliers to the NCC during the January 1 to December 31, 2022 period under review.

      He said that in a “clear conflict of interest”, the supervisor of the clean-up initiative, dubbed the 360 Programme because of the number of people contracted to be part of the initiative, utilised his own trucks to remove debris, engaged the services of another supplier and set rates for that supplier.

      “This is a dangerous precedent, which should be corrected,” Trotman said as he urged the NCC, which has an annual budget of more than $25 million, to establish procurement policies to govern its operations.

      According to the Auditor General, an audit of certain procurement activities of the NCC was requested by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification based on concerns outlined by the NCC chairman.

      In a report to the minister, the chairman indicated that only one firm was performing grease trap and septic well cleaning across NCC facilities and that the company was paid approximately $1,553,402 over the ten-month period, January to October 2022.
      Leo Lecture – SBA Week 2023

      “The chairman and deputy chairman expressed their concerns at the absence of contractual arrangements and the lack of proper oversight for these services,” said Trotman, as he outlined the reasons for the audit into the operations of the NCC.

      The NCC’s arrangements with two entities in particular had concerned the Board. The audit revealed that there were a number of issues regarding the services provided, including the NCC’s failure to agree to rates before starting routine maintenance, the absence of a competitive selection process, the lack of authorisation, and work not being verified.

      “There was no evidence of a competitive selection process for the services provided by these entities and, as a result, there was no way to determine if the rates charged were the best value for money,” the Auditor General said.

      “The payments made to both entities for removal of debris in the 360 Program were approved by management without evidence that the appropriate checks and balances were conducted to verify that the work was done,” he said, adding that no logs existed for the services provided to allow for verification of work done as per the invoices submitted.

      “As a result, there is a lack of transparency and internal controls along with the risk of unnecessary costs being incurred.”

      Further, the audit found that one of the entities, which is owned by the supervisor under the 360 Programme, removed debris in the constituency which he supervises and also set the rates for this service.

      “This is a conflict of interest which has allowed the owner of the entity to perform tasks without appropriate checks and balances by NCC to ensure the work was carried out and at an economic cost,” Trotman noted.

      The supervisor also engaged the trucking services of the other entity and the NCC facilitated payment.

      “There was no evidence that any authority was given by the NCC, to the supervisor, to engage this service. In addition, no logs existed for the services provided to allow for verification of work done as per the invoices submitted. Nevertheless, approval for payment for this service was given by management,” Troman detailed.

      “By accepting this situation, the management of the Commission abdicated its responsibilities and the risk increased that payments were made for unauthorised services of which it had no way of determining if it was performed.”

      He added: “There was no need for the trucking services provided by the two entities for the removal of debris, according to personnel with responsibility for NCC’s fleet of trucks and oversight of the 360 Programme. Personnel from the NCC also expressed concerns that when they attempted to remove debris generated by the team, supervised by the owner of one of the entities, they were not allowed to perform this duty.”

      In its response, the NCC said the selection process for contractors removing debris “would have come as an instruction from the Chairman of the Board of Directors when concerns were raised at the ministerial level”.

      “This occurred after bags of garbage and debris were not collected in a timely manner by the NCC fleet of vehicles,” it added.

      Another concern regarding the procurement practices of NCC was the failure to obtain a schedule of fees for services provided. There was no evidence provided to indicate that fees payable for services provided were established prior to the engagement of suppliers, said Trotman.

      However, the NCC gave the assurance that “fees for services are checked by receiving quotations from multiple suppliers or informally by the officers requesting the engagement of suppliers”.

      “This gap has been filled by sending the above service requests out to tender and a service provider selected. It has been established that tenders will be conducted annually for such services,” it said.

      Among the Auditor General’s other concerns were the weaknesses in the NCC’s accounting system; and the change from an ad hoc maintenance programme to a preventative one for certain plumbing services which resulted in an increase in the costs, even though there was no evidence of a cost benefit analysis being done to substantiate the decision.

      Trotman recommended that the NCC establish a clear procurement policy; replace the accounting system; implement a competitive and transparent selection process for suppliers; and obtain rates for services being procured.

      He also recommended the implementation of a documented authorisation process which allows for cross-checking of information submitted on invoices by suppliers; and the establishment of a transparent system for the certification of invoices.

      Trotman said the NCC should also review the rates charged to tenants at the Oistins Bay Gardens and Worthing Beach, given the high levels of operational costs incurred for the maintenance of those sites.

      Source: Barbados Today


  3. David, the AudGen’s report of NCC essentially accused employees (Public Servants) of engaging in questionable activities, some of which were essentially tantamount to conspiring to steal government funds. Based on his report, do you believe Trotman was ‘looking for scape goats?’ The AugGen highlights financial infelicities as a result of the non-compliance of BOTH politicans and public sector employees with government’s formal established bureaucratic procedures or financial regulations, ‘to do shiite.’

    Reply ↓

  4. @ David on September 21, 2023 at 6:46 AM said:
    Quote:
    No rules breached
    Straughn clears air on Sam Lord’s project financing

    He also acknowledged that there have been challenges in the reconciliation of revenue data, as Government seeks to modernise its systems.
    “Different banks have been putting in their solutions. We have had some challenges with respect to some payments from overseas in terms of ensuring that we can have the appropriate reconciliation done. I believe that the Barbados Revenue Authority has been able to settle some of those issues,” he said.
    (Unquote).
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    What a load of bullshit from this “Bajan Brass Bowl”, to use one of Bush Tea’s famous epithet!

    Only (y)our man “Enuff” could be that stupid to swallow such a of puerile book-keeping crap for an explanation of sheer accounting incompetence with the scent of corruption all over the ledgers.

    Where is the Accountant General or ‘his’ replacement in all of this?

    Reply ↓

    • 🙈🙈🙈
      An excellent report.
      I didn’t read it 😭😭
      I tried but fell asleep twice over the past two days.
      Apparently if something is “mission critical” or deemed to be such, this permits decisions which need no communication until after they are discovered and revealed.
      No wonder the grabbing of NIS deductions were deemed as taken “in trust”.
      Can’t wait for Sam Lords to be sold. Can we foresee any issues?


    • “Gov’t moves to get back lands used as collateral to settle CLICO claims

      The Government is renegotiating the return to local ownership, lands which were used as collateral under the previous Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration to settle millions of dollars in insurance claims for policyholders of the collapsed CLICO International Life across the Eastern Caribbean.
      Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs Ryan Straughn made the disclosure during an address to the annual general meeting of the St George South constituency branch of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) at the St Luke’s Skills Training Centre on Sunday.
      Straughn took the DLP to task for issuing $600 million in bonds in 2017 for CLICO with no way of paying it back.
      “When we did the debt restructuring, we had to deal with this $600 million from CLICO. So, the haircut for the NIS had to be larger than it would have been if the Democratic Labour Party did not issue $600 million in debt for CLICO,” the minister said.
      “In fact, some of the lands that we are trying to renegotiate with the OECS [Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States] to get to do some more housing and agriculture in this country, they gave away the lands that were in production, vested them in the OECS, which we are trying to get back now to do a little swap.”
      According to Straughn, the DLP administration “took up Bajan land and set it as collateral, effectively to settle claims for CLICO outside of Barbados”.
      “When you commit Government resources for a 100 per cent private operation, the taxpayers have no place in it, because if you were a CLICO policyholder or British American policyholder you did not have any conversation with the Government when you went and got the policy.
      “Right now, we have to renegotiate for land that is in Barbados. We are looking for land now to do more agriculture to improve food security, so we have to be in conversation with somebody outside of Barbados as to how we are going to use land in Barbados. You can imagine that?” Straughn added.
      He also criticised the former DLP government for failing to pay $250 million in National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions for public servants between 2015 and 2018.
      DLP president Dr Ronnie Yearwood has been calling on the Government to repay the $1.3 billion debt to the NIS which was written off during the 2018 debt restructuring exercise, but Straughn said the DLP should come clean to the public and admit that it did not pay contributions for three years.
      “The Government that we had wasn’t paying National Insurance contributions for public servants. So, in none of this conversation about NIS have they told the country they didn’t pay NIS contributions for public servants,” he contended, adding that the Barbados Labour Party administration had to settle that debt when it came into office.
      (EJ)”

      Source: Barbados Today


    • I was aware of the Bonds, but had been led to believe this was to avoid transferring lands. Confused?
      And that sum of unpaid NIS deductions changes weekly?


    • JohnA
      Who knows, or cares?
      Some weeks ago I made an apology thusly
      “I must admit when I make a mistake. For some time I have used the number of $320,000,000 to represent the sum of NIS contributions deducted from govt/SOE employees but not remitted to the NIS, by that employer(s), pre 2018. That was incorrect. The actual number given by the PM is $457,500,000.”
      Now today we read above “He (Minister Straight) also criticised the former DLP government for failing to pay $250 million in National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions for public servants between 2015 and 2018.”
      Boss pick a number.
      I would first find out WHO owns it?


  7. This boy Straughn knows tooo little about tooo much.

    Has anything his regime, his party, has done along these lines, not tantamount.

    Talk about “poorakey parliament” this is it.

    We presume that Mottley has more sense. But may stand corrected.

    That it’s best to send out an idiot to talk foolishness to party faithfuls.

    Reply ↓

  8. a new sensation
    what happened to the new vibration groovy situation
    cannabis business
    this time is it for real
    this is something you can feel

    Reply ↓

  10. Thought I saw something like this last year and the year before that and the year before that.
    Looking for my previous comments (if any).
    Perhaps, I’ll find this next year.

    Reply ↓

  11. BU can be like a political debate on the TV with big name celeb talking heads which turns you off and makes you change channel as they are just showing off boring psuedo intellectuals..

    Here’s a Donna Yellowman and Fathead tune

    Reply ↓

    • The REAL TURN OFF is allowing uh IMMATURE blog @$$ NUISANCE like YOU to post a lot of BORING, IRRELEVANT youtube Jamaican music videos to Bajan discussions.


    • How difficult is it for the public to be told the truth? It is standard for an auditor to have exchanges with management of the department under review during the engaged. To listen to denials flying post release of the auditor general’s report does not make sense.

      NCC general manager challenges Auditor General’s findings
      Article by Sheria Brathwaite
      Published on
      September 23, 2023

      By Sheria Brathwaite

      General manager of the National Conservation Commission (NCC) Ryan Als is disputing recent findings in the Auditor General’s Report which point to weaknesses in the agency’s procurement processes and claimed that a senior official contracted his own company to do work for the national cleanup programme.

      In his 2022 report, Auditor General Leigh Trotman flagged the procurement and payment for services provided to the NCC during the January 1 to December 31, 2022 period.

      It was stated that a company was paid approximately $1 553 402 over a ten-month period – January to October 2022 – to perform grease trap and septic well cleaning across NCC facilities.

      However, in an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, Als said he could not account for that information and was puzzled by the report.

      “Our records indicate that only around $300 000 was spent on grease trap and septic services. Several contractors were engaged on an as-needed basis; some did routine maintenance and some did emergency services. I do not know where the $1.5 million came from, you will probably have to ask the chairman of the board to elaborate on that. But I have nothing of the sort on my records. As a matter of fact, we didn’t have that kind of money to spend on any one thing, so it is puzzling to me,” he said.
      Bajan Fair Web banner 300×300

      Trotman had also indicated that there was no evidence of a competitive selection process for the services provided by two entities who provided the services and, therefore, no way to determine if the rates charged were the best value for money.

      However, Als said none of the contracts “reached the contractual threshold”

      “For contracts for tender, the $200 000 threshold needs to be met. These services ranged from $2 000 to $4 000, depending on if the septic tanks had to be emptied or the wells had to be cleaned. They were small jobs.

      “The persons in charge of the plumbing department are the ones who call in the services. They are the ones who see the problem, and indicate to management that there is a problem, whether it be a blockage or overflow, and if it is an emergency they would call and indicate such. Approval is given if it is done that way and if it is a routine, they will indicate that routine maintenance is required for a particular location and then that is approved by management,” the NCC general manager said.

      He noted that the situation at Oistins Bay Garden was peculiar because there were more people using grease and oils than the septic system could accommodate.

      “So every week and sometimes twice a week, we had blockages. Persons use the bathroom and use too much tissue and block the system. So we would often have to go and pump off the system, flush the lines, clean the manholes, grease straps and so on, to allow for functioning to continue. We did not want a situation that occurred in the past where the rodents and other vermin proliferated in the Bay Garden and it became a health issue. The Ministry of Health would have written to us several times and we had to rectify the situation in the interest of the public,” Als explained.

      He added that the NCC started routine maintenance instead of ”reactionary maintenance” last year to avoid major shutdowns and maintain a good public health standard at Oistins Bay Garden, Worthing Beach and Rockley, all in Christ Church, where other vendors are located.

      He said that as of last month, vendors at all NCC sites were asked to pay a maintenance fee of around $100 to help the commission maintain the upkeep of the facilities.

      As it relates to the national 360 cleaning programme, the audit found that one of the entities, which is owned by the supervisor under the 360 Programme, removed debris in the constituency which he supervises and also set the rates for this service. Trotman described this as “a conflict of interest which has allowed the owner of the entity to perform tasks without appropriate checks and balances by NCC to ensure the work was carried out and at an economic cost”.

      However, Als denied that is the case.

      “No NCC employee was contracted to remove debris in the 360 programme. Contractors on the 360 programme clean and some remove debris and they are paid for the work that is done by pictorial evidence. Pictures are taken before and after the debris is cleared. We have 720 persons contracted to clean highways, byways, gaps, streets, alleys, all over Barbados. We do not have the NCC supervisory staff to do such,” he said.

      Asked where he thought the claim could have originated, Als said the accounting system the commission used was outdated.

      “Our accounting system does not house the pictures. It is not set up to do so, and when anyone is doing an audit, looking into the accounting system alone will not see the pictures. But management has a catalogue of the pictures, which can be provided if need be.

      “But our accounting system is outdated, it is an MS-DOS system (Microsoft Disk Operating System). One of the challenges with changing the system is that our financial statements are way out of date and they were so before I took up my assignment as general manager. However, we are working diligently to rectify it. It is a slow process because resources are limited. When updated, it will eliminate challenges of not being able to track expenditure,” Als said, adding that by the end of this financial year, the system should be updated.

      Overall, he said the state-owned agency needed a digital transformation to stamp out “archaic” systems.

      sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

      Source: BT


  12. Whoa —- Latest edition of the TURD WORLD Comic strip.

    Government response – We got this ! THIS being millions of taxpayer $’s funneled into appropriate political & supports pockets.

    Reply ↓

    • Audit Office wants more independence

      Government is being urged to help the Barbados Audit Office become more independent “in the near future”.
      Auditor General Leigh Trotman said this would help his office fill staff vacancies more quickly.
      He revealed that “over 80 per cent of the junior auditor positions are not occupied and the demand for the remaining auditors to act in other ministries and departments has recently gathered pace”.
      Benefits
      “I have also indicated in previous reports of the need for the office to be more independent. There are several benefits which can occur as a result. These include a faster turnaround time in the recruitment of staff,” he said in the 2022 Auditor General’s Report.
      “This can be achieved by delegating recruitment to the Office of the Auditor General, as in the case of many other jurisdictions. In addition, the office would not have to rely on agencies it audits for the provision of resources.
      Lack of staff
      “The need for an independent audit office is supported by United Nations Resolutions and was also a recommendation of the 1998 Constitutional Review Commission in Barbados. I have outlined these concerns to the Government for a number of years and I am hoping that some action can be taken in the near future on this matter,” Trotman added.
      He spoke about the negative impact the lack of staff was having on his department’s operations.
      “The Auditor General is mandated by law to submit an annual report by December 31 each year. For a number of years, this has not occurred and this includes this 2022 Report.
      “There are several challenges facing the office which has resulted in the lateness of these reports. The first relates to staffing in the office,” he said.
      “I have been reporting on this matter since 2007 and, over time, it has gotten progressively worse. Currently, over 80 per cent of the junior auditor positions are not occupied and the demand for the remaining auditors to act in other ministries and departments has recently gathered pace.
      “A number of positions have recently been advertised and it is expected that some of these will be filled in the near future. There are limited replacements in the Public Service and new officers need to be recruited and trained, which takes considerable time,” he stated.
      Trotman said the planning, review and quality assurance processes of the office have also been negatively impacted by the shortage.
      “In addition to the shortage of staff, there have been long delays in obtaining information from ministries, departments and other state agencies. In short, the office, as presently constituted, has been unable to deliver a comprehensive report on the operations of Government on a timely basis.” ( SC)

      Source: Nation


    • NCC board must account

      The latest report from the Auditor General laid in Parliament last week has again raised the spectre of maladministration by public officials across the wide spectrum of Government activities. It is a perennial national problem and should not be tolerated by taxpayers of this country.
      The disclosure by Auditor General Leigh Trotman on the National Conservation Commission (NCC) in particular has catapulted issues relating to Government’s financial practices to the forefront of public discussion yet again.
      Sadly, in many instances there are ill-defined governance structures and weak accountability systems in the public sector, and as long as this continues, ambiguity will reign supreme.
      One effect is the abuse of public resources and opportunities for selfserving purposes, with unlawful diversion of resources from the most vulnerable people in society who need it most and who are the biggest losers.
      It also extends to people using their power and authority to determine whether resources or contracts will be made available to certain individuals and under what conditions.
      That’s why the situation at the NCC as reported by the Auditor General’s report is so appalling. He has uncovered “a string of weaknesses in procurement practices” at the NCC and a case in which a senior official there contracted his own company to do work for a national cleanup programme.
      In the report, the procurement and payment for services provided by at least two suppliers to the NCC during the January 1 to December 31, 2022 period under review was flagged. The payments were approved by management without evidence that the appropriate checks were done.
      The report noted that in a “clear conflict of interest”, the supervisor of the clean-up initiative, dubbed the 360 Programme, utilised his own trucks to remove debris, engaged the services of another supplier and set rates for that supplier.
      “This is a dangerous precedent, which should be corrected,” Trotman said as he urged the NCC to establish procurement policies to govern its operations, as requested by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification, based on concerns outlined by the NCC chairman.
      In a report to the minister, the chairman indicated that only one firm was performing grease trap and septic well cleaning across NCC facilities and that the company was paid approximately $1 553 402 over the ten-month period, January to October 2022.
      Accordingly, “the chairman and deputy chairman expressed their concerns at the absence of contractual arrangements and the lack of proper oversight for these services”. This formed the basis for the audit into the operations of the NCC. It is clear therefore that someone was giving instructions outside of the board.
      This newspaper agrees with the Auditor General that “by accepting this situation, the management of the commission abdicated its responsibilities and the risk increased that payments were made for unauthorised services of which it had no way of determining if it was performed”.
      In these circumstances, the entire board, the manager of the NCC and the minister responsible must give an account to the public of all the details of what transpired, and what penalties and corrective action will be taken to prevent a recurrence, in keeping with the objectives of transparency and good governance.
      We are thankful once again for the Auditor General’s revelations, but if we are serious about making wrong things right in this country, then those in authority must lead the way and set the tone for others to follow. No amount of “sweet-talking” or intellectual manoeuvring will do. We need action, and we need it now.

      Source: Nation


  13. @ David

    As you are aware, for years the Auditor General has been repeatedly reminding ‘government’ about the need to fill vacancies in his Department.

    Unfortunately, ‘his cries’ CONTINUE ‘to fall on deaf ears.’

    Yet, some time during 2021, Mottley FOUND the necessary FINANCIAL and HUMAN RESOURCES required to facilitate the establishment of an UNNECESSARY Department of Public Affairs (DPA) as a bona fide government agency……

    …… and MAINTAINING its operations every year thereafter.

    Bear in mind, this current BLP administration has, at its disposal, other state owned entities that are USED primarily for political propaganda and public relations purposes, such as the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Government Information Service (GIS).

    They also have the services of a Director of Communications and Social Media.

    And, the last time I checked, Roy Morris was their Press Secretary.

    Ironically, ‘government’ is in the process of AMALGAMATING state owned agencies that provide SIMILAR social services.
    Child Care Board, Disabilities Unit, National Assistance Board, Rural and Urban Development Commissions.

    However, if Mottley and her administration were SERIOUS about transparency and accountability, they would’ve RESPONDED POSITIVELY to his requests.

    Reply ↓

  14. “…. if Mottley and her administration were SERIOUS about transparency and accountability….”
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Boss, if they were serious about transparency and accountability, the Auditor General would hardly find shit to complain about.

    Wunna REALLY think that the few shiite issues that are raised annually by the AG even SCRATCH the tip of the iceberg?

    ….steupssss
    Well -wunna probably think he has it under control..
    …. cause most o’ wunna are BB Bajans.

    But not stinking Bushie!!! (Bajan, but FORMER BB)
    ..de bushman can smell ‘thiefing grand mudda’ going on bout here… from TOP to BOTTOM, every parasite looking to see what dey can extract from the kitty…

    VERY FEW are looking to add more than they take out – for the sake of the future and the children….

    Trotman is fighting an oil fire with a leaky garden hose, that is connected to a BWA supply… mostly giving air..

    What a cursed society.
    SPECIALLY targeted by Satan to brassbowlery.

    Reply ↓

  15. In A Dis Ya Time
    Governments around the world pretend to serve the public while secretly controlling them.

    [Easy Squeeze makes No Riot.
    Jamaica seems more volatile than Barbados for protest fightback.]

    [Throwaway Comment / Dry Humour
    Sometimes my comments are private between budavid and me and no one else. Does he listen to each song before releasing it.]

    Reply ↓

    • Skipper, the blogmaster got a section at the top of the blog named Confidential Message that you could use to send all the private comments you want to him, instead of boring BU with a lot of shyte @$$ Jamaican youtube music videos that ain’t got not one shyte to do with Barbados, yuh nuisance!


    • Artax one one who loves process, and we get it. Please explain how the AG went to print and the numbers as highlighted in the article below were overstated?

      Forde clears air on $1.5m controversy
      MINISTER OF THE ENVIRONMENT Adrian Forde says the National Conservation Commission (NCC) paid less than a third of the $1.5 million highlighted in the 2022 Auditor General’s Report to a company for grease trap and septic well cleaning services.
      During a media conference in the ministry’s Warrens Towers II headquarters yesterday, Forde sought to clear the air on the controversial matter that was raised in the report laid in Parliament two weeks ago.
      He was accompanied by Permanent Secretary (PS) Yolande Howard, general manager of the Sanitation Service Authority, Janice Jones, and deputy general manager Michael Nicholls.
      “On December 9, 2022, I wrote to the PS concerning a report brought by the chairman of the NCC which had identified certain anomalies in terms of accounting. The PS subsequently wrote the Auditor General and asked for an investigation into the report, who in turn did a special audit.
      “The original report spoke of a figure of $1 553 402 being paid . . . but the [revised] public report on the parliamentary website said the entity was paid over $300 000 between January and December 2022 with the exact figure, based on a special audit, being $432 641, a far difference from the $1.5 million that is a subject of discussion,” he said, adding the smaller figure was within their budget.
      Forde said the revised audit was done by the Auditor General who was now armed with more accurate information. He said the issue was due to duplicated invoices and once the matter was ventilated, the more accurate figure was revealed.
      “He (the Auditor General) investigated with the actual invoices and once he had done his crosschecking, he realised there had been duplication of invoices,” he said.
      The minister was not the first to publicly question the high figure as last week NCC general manager Ryan Als said he had no idea how the initial figure was ascertained. He said their records indicated only around $300 000 was spent on the service, adding the NCC did not have the resources to spend that much money on one entity.
      Forde explained the public report would not be as exact as the special audit, which was exclusively available to the ministry, but the end result was the same as both showed the NCC did not pay more than a million dollars to a single company for a year’s services.
      The minister said they had taken steps to ensure such errors did not recur, such as ensuring the requisite provisions which govern procurement under the Public Finance Management Act were followed; identifying a new accounting system to support the enhancement of the NCC’s financial management processes; and entering an arrangement with tenants which now sees them paying a new maintenance fee to contribute to the cleaning of grease traps and septic wells.
      “There is obviously some disappointment in terms of what has taken place. We recognise not all of the proper processes and procedures were followed but we are committed to operating according to the Financial Management Act so going forward we would not encounter these situations,” he said.
      Forde also tackled another aspect of the report, which said an NCC supervisor in the 360 cleaning programme was using vehicles to do work for an entity and charging a fee for that work.
      He said this was untrue as 360 programme workers were independent contractors and not employees of the NCC. He explained that they signed up to a payment plan to get equipment from the NCC and were paid using invoices. (CA)

      Source: Nation


  16. Sometimes my comments are private between budavid and me and no one else. Does he listen to each song before releasing it…
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Translated into English…

    Kiki does write a lotta shiite …and yet the Blogmaster entertains him, and Pacha defends him….

    LOL
    But NOT stinking Bushie doh!!!

    Reply ↓

  17. Ya Basic
    Ya lost your hard man edge about 4 years ago
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    True dat!
    de damn whacker get tek way….

    But even so… if you is a man, …meet Bushie in Temple Yard tomorrow at noon…
    ..or by Speaker’s Corner if dat nearer for you…

    Reply ↓

    • Surely the AudGen is forced to respond?
      The explanation makes “his office” appear unable to follow a sequence of events.


    • Respond to what exactly?
      He audited the figures presented and came to the obvious conclusion.
      Their defense is that the figures that THEY presented for audit were wrong…
      How is the AG responsible for following a sequence? He is an auditor, not a nursemaid….

      Bushie now, would start with some SERIOUS bush baths from the head to toe…. LOL


    • We have read the information/misinformation differently.
      The ‘special Audit’ was prior to the Aud Gen report?
      There was an audit, then a special audit by the AudGen, then the AudGen AR. Herein lies the sequence.


    • @ NO
      Bushie defers to you on such matters. Your take on the sequence is probably correct….
      But you done know that Bushie is a ‘gallows bait’… 🙂

      So here is the Bushy sequence…
      1 – Audit is due, and staff member (recently transferred from another department where she better knew the work) is scrambling to put the information jig saw together.
      2- Finally comes up with some tables and figures which are scanned by managers and Board members who have NO CLUE what the figures mean.. (but are excellent party poultry)
      3- Auditor General rips it to shreds and send back scathing questions about the ridiculous expenses and raises accusations of fraud.
      4 – Board and management suddenly ‘comes alive’ and orders a ‘special audit’ to get to the bottom of the questions raised…
      5 – Turns out the figures handed in were junk – with multiple double entries etc.
      6 – Minister goes on TV and gives a lecture (like his boss is won’t to do) about there being ’nothing to see here’…..
      7 – Auditor Gen is now being urged to review his findings from “Likely Fraud” to “gross incompetence”.

      …you know of course that even ‘basic incompetence’ in BBdos is grounds for promotion to ‘Senior Minister’…
      Shiite man, wuh then – ‘gross incompetence’ could possibly get someone conferred with a ‘Most Honorable’ award, ya hear?

      Disclaimer!
      Bushie is probably wrong, but the Bushy sequence is MUCH sweeter than yours doh…


    • Sweet.lol.
      Bushie..my greater concern than a little teefing, is the popular trend (all ovah) is to discredit independent offices which can shed negative light.
      The retiring AudGen in Ontario (yuh know de place with nuff nuclear generators 😀) done cause the resignation of two ‘senior’ Ministers, and another top one to resign under the ‘spend more time with family’ line.
      This is really why I said the AudGen MUST reply. Their office must be ‘without doubt’, though being human they can make errors too.


  18. Please explain how the AG went to print and the numbers as highlighted in the article below were overstated?
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    If this does not indicate that our worst idiots are running the show, then NOTHING EVER CAN!!

    So…
    The Auditor General was INVITED to audit this agency by the Board / Minister
    (else NCC would NOT have been highlighted as being a mess)

    It turns out that the financial figures (which went as far as the minister and AG) were a complete mess – obviously done by amateurs.

    Seems to Bushie that the REAL problem (Incompetence and idiocy of staff and administration) is MUCH worse that the original charge (breech of financial rules).

    “There was no thieving …we are just incompetent” …. WTH!!!

    But in Brassbados, incompetence is the NORM…. so what is the solution?

    =Buy a new accounting system for the SAME incompetent idiots to $#@^% up!
    =Then, make up some new rules for the same jokers to break…
    =and finally, put up some lame excuses so that the same incompetent Board and Minister can continue their mediocrity….

    What a CURSED place…
    we are CLEARLY en route to self-destruction.

    Reply ↓

  19. Propaganda
    What is the difference between a troll and a politician?

    Misinformation
    What is the difference between an internet troll and a Government spy?

    Haters
    Cue the usual suspects that dwell in this vicinity to make a predictable comment about “trolling” to pollute peoples minds.. same as it ever was

    Reply ↓

  20. First this government threw some doubts about the quality of the AG report.

    What is next? Will we see an army of Lorenzos deployed to tell you who is a B or a D?

    Do you remember how there was some story about an ex-senator receiving money from the BLP(or was it the DLP)? Will we see a similar story emerging about the AG or one of his relatives and with the BLP or DLP being a donor?

    Trying to predict the next salvo in this war against the AG is of interest. First, they ran out and said “no ball’; We expect that bouncers directed at his body will be next stage.

    Reply ↓

  21. @ David

    My understanding of the issue based on what I read, is that the NCC prepared a report, which indicated $1,553,403 was paid for services rendered in connection with the cleaning of grease traps and septic wells.

    Apparently, this prompted the minister to write a letter outlining his concerns, to the PS, who in turn asked the AudGen to conduct a special audit.

    The ‘Special Audit of the Procurement Practices of the National Conservation Commission,’ which was conducted by auditors from the Audit Office, indicated ‘a review of the accounting documentation provided by the NCC for the period January to October 2022, revealed that payments totaling $432,641,’ were made to a particular individual.

    The following excerpt was taken from page 56, section 4.15 of the AudGen’s 2022 report:

    “An audit of certain procurement activities of the NCC was requested by the Permanent Secretary of MENB. The audit was requested as a result of concerns outlined by the Chairman of the NCC in a report to the Minister of the MENB. In this report the Chairman indicated that it was
    brought to the Board’s attention that only one Firm was performing
    grease trap and septic well cleaning across all of the NCC facilities.”
    “The
    report indicated that the Company was paid approximately $1,553,402
    over the ten-month period of January to October 2022.”
    “The Chairman
    and Deputy Chairman expressed their concerns at the absence of
    contractual arrangements and the lack of proper oversight for these services.”

    The following excerpt was taken from page 57 and 58 of the report in question:

    “The audit revealed that there were a number of issues regarding the
    services provided, including NCC’s failure to agree to rates before
    commencement of the routine maintenance, the absence of a competitive selection process, the lack of authorization and non-
    verification of work done as follows: –

    i. There was no evidence of a competitive selection process for the services provided by these entities and, as a result, there was no way to determine if the rates charged were the best value for money. For example, only one entity was used by NCC to clean grease traps and provide other cleaning services at various parks and recreational areas.”

    “This entity was PAID OVER $300,000 between January and December 2022 for this service.”

    “The detailed audit findings presented below address the specific
    concerns highlighted in the report by the Chairman of the NCC to the
    Minister of the MENB. They also include issues surrounding the
    procurement practices of the Commission and deficiencies in the
    accounting controls.” [Page 57]

    Based on the above information. I believe some contributors assumed a presumption of guilt, perhaps before thoroughly reading the reports.

    Reply ↓

  22. @ David
    Look Boss, ..what contributors ‘assumed’ was a CLEAR CONCLUSION of incompetence.
    It is fairly obvious that the folks involved here are incapable of basic fraud. Fraudsters MUST be able to add properly.

    1 – First of all, the ROLE of the Chairman, Deputy, and Board is to put SYSTEMS in place to ensure that the financial rules are followed. What quotations were received? from whom? what contracts were awarded? Bring the records…etc.

    It is NOT the Board’s role to let staff ‘do as they like’, and then ‘call a special audit’ when the shit hits the fan.

    Damn Board should be fired.

    2- It is the Minister’s role to appoint a COMPETENT board who understands their role. It is NOT his role to award his everyday ‘yard poultry’ with ‘Board picks’ for putting up posters during elections.

    Damn Minister should be promoted to ‘Senior Minister’ – like Doobad.

    3 – It is NOT the role of the Auditor General to play nurse maid for incompetent ministers and their yardfowl Boards.
    Mr Trotman should NOT say another word….

    Reply ↓

    • @Bush Tea

      The blogmaster respects process in much the same way Auditor General Trotman probably does as well. After years reading AG reports with the same comments, who can blame citizens for casting blame far and wide. We are sick of it.


    • I agree wholeheartedly ‘we are sick of it.’ However, I believe issues should be discussed on their own merit, the basis of which be fairness, objectivity and rationale, while taking the totality of circumstances into consideration…. rather than ‘paint every issue with same broad brush.’ Too often there is an automatic presumption of guilt, without any consideration given to all relevant circumstances of the issue, which is also interrogated by applying the ‘certainty of guilt’ influence strategy of the ‘Reid Technique.’


    • @Artax

      When discussing perennial issues raised in AG’s report one must accept that to expect dispassionate discussion will be a stretch.


    • And, I agree with you wholeheartedly, especially as it relates to this particular NCC issue.


  23. The NCC was established 41 years ago, through the National Conservation Commission Act of 1982. The financial operations of government agencies are regulated by the Financial Management Act. It is the responsibility of the PS, NCC’s director and accountant to ensure the Commission adheres to the guidelines outlined therein. The accountant authorise payments after reviewing the expenditure vouchers, invoices and other supporting documentation. Although it maybe true that ‘yard poultry are awarded with board picks,’ they, either as chairmen or members, are not directly involved in the ‘day to day’ operations of any SOE. A reason why each board has a director, CEO or whatever title is chosen for ‘head of department.’ The director reports to the board through the chairman; who reports to the minister (e.g the minister receives copies of the board minutes); the minister addresses his/her concerns to the PS. In simple terms, the NCC chairman asked for a report, in which suspected ‘financial anomalies’ were discovered. The reported his concerns to the minister, who in turn consulted with PS to request a special audit. Bear in mind that, under the circumstances, the ‘anomalies’ remained allegations, until they could be objectively verifed…. hence, the special audit. If we agree with the protocol, then surely we must agree the sequence of events in this issue followed.

    Reply ↓

    • The duties of the AudGen are outlined in the Barbados Constitution. The Audit Office conducted the special audit as requested. The AudGen prepared a report, inclusive of recommendations, as mandated. Yet, Trotman is said to be ‘playing nurse maid.’ But, what can be expected from someone who presented a shiite argument about ‘jurisdiction,’ while definite examples thereof ‘went way over his head.’


  24. Artax
    Thanks for explaining so well why nothing works in Government.
    What a stupid, convoluted, outdated Act.

    Anyway..
    Please educate us on the intended and functional role of a ‘Board’.

    Then suggest a sensible CRITERIA for selecting and appointing such a Board

    Finally compare your answers with our current reality.

    Thanks in advance.

    BTW
    A ‘PS’ is just another employee whose functions need to be guided, monitored and reviewed. Most are jokers anyhow…. unlike days gone by ..when MERIT played a role in their selection.

    Reply ↓

    • Our “Financial Management and Audit Act (Act 2007-11)” which you advise guides Government’s financial procedures.

      Most such institutions are currently in woeful financial states. The Auditor General barely scratches the surface of the mess…. as you know…
      …thanks largely to restrictions and manipulations of his staff.

      The Private Sector on the other hand, seeks to use effective policy-setting Boards to manage such matters as financial procedures and audit reporting, with far better results.


    • Okay. I agree with you as it relates to the 2007 Act. That’s probably the reason why a revised Public Finance Management Act 2019 – 1 was passed in Parliament on January 15, 2019, which is the Act I’m referring.


    • Bushie, perhaps you should ‘find out’ the operational similarities and differences between public and private sector boards BEFORE making any comparisons. One thing we know for sure is that SOEs are established to simply circumvent the bureaucracy associated with ‘central government.’


  25. What confuses me, is how many invoices, on a total of $432,000 had to be duplicated to arrive at $1.5M?

    But as admitted earlier, the report is the best sleeping pill I have ever found.

    Reply ↓

  26. David
    “By the way, are we happy with Struaghn’s explanation to what happened with Four Seasons/Clearwater Bay transaction?”

    What explanation was that?

    Reply ↓

  27. NorthernObserver on September 29, 2023 at 11:49 AM said:
    Rate This

    What confuses me, is how many invoices, on a total of $432,000 had to be duplicated to arrive at $1.5M?

    But as admitted earlier, the report is the best sleeping pill I have ever found.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    1.5 million is not divisible by 432,000!!

    sorry!!!

    Reply ↓

    • If doesn’t have to be.
      Many invoices totalled $432k. It some were duplicated twice, and others several times, any total can be arrived at.


  29. “This entity was PAID OVER $300,000 between January and December 2022 for this service.
    +++++++++++

    My head aint too good and maybe I missed something, but that figure leaves a lot out what does “over $300,00” mean? Is it $432,000 or is it $350,000 or is it $1,000.000.

    Maybe there is a simple explanation, but did I miss anything?

    Reply ↓

    • What you missed was…the books of the NCC haven’t been audited in over 10 years. The NCC also received $20M in additional funding, and given the former, the AudGen was concerned about how those monies were spent. The NCC has no method of seeking nor reviewing competitive bids, nor tracking projects to ensure if invoices amounts actually reflect works done.
      The question is why was the Chair so upset? Normally the politically appointed Chair is “aware” of the similarly anointed contractors who get untendered contracts. Why seek to out him? Why raise the flag?


  30. There was a time when you passed a whole line of ladies cleaning the side of the road … NCC at work.

    I always wondered how people could belittle women working in the canefields and still tolerate all these ladies standing up beside the road with their hoes.

    So I started to think that the problem people had with agricultural work was more imagined than real.

    I came up with this idea.

    Private enterprise needs to hire all these ladies who lost out with the NCC and offer their services to plantations for a fee.

    There will be plenty work to go around and the workers on the island would be provided with alot of employment. IT would not be for everyone but if the NCC worked at one time, this should too.

    There could be a labour depot in each parish with work assignments on plantations throughout the parish.

    Reply ↓

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