No financial statements for eight years

Financial statements of the Board of Industrial Training of Trinidad and Tobago have not been submitted for the period 1995 to 2003. This was the disclosure from Auditor General Jocelyn Thompson. According to the Auditor General’s Second Report on the non-receipt of the Boards financial statements, the Board’s financial statements for the years ended December 31, 1995, December 31, 1996, December 31, 1997 and December 31, 1998, “have not been received for audit examination to date” according to Section 116 (4) of the constitution and  Section 7(3) of the Industrial Training Act, Chapter 39:54.

The Auditor General’s First Report states the Board’s financial statements for the years ended December 31, 1999 December 31, 2000 December 31, 2001 December 31, 2002 and December 31, 2003, also “have not been received for audit examination to date” in keeping with the same sections of the constitution and the Industrial Training Act. As far as transfer of assets, both reports state, “Evidence was not seen of the transfer of all assets of the Board of Industrial Training of TT to the National Training Agency as agreed to by Cabinet in January 1995.”

The Reports also indicated that “copies of letters from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education dated April 24, 2003, were seen revoking the appointment of Board members who were appointed by letters dated June 1, 2000. Both reports have been submitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate and the Finance Minister in accordance with Sections 116 and 119 of the constitution.