Auditor General: No accounts from 44 public bodies

The North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), National Housing Authority (NHA), and the Airports Authority (AA) are among those public bodies which have failed to declare their finances. This was revealed in a Report of the Auditor General on the Non-Receipt of Financial Statements from Certain Entities yesterday laid in the House of Representatives. Public bodies are required by the Exchequer and Audit Act to submit annual accounts for scrutiny by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a body birthed by the constitution. But in its 2002 to 2003 Annual Report, the PAC had complained of some delinquent bodies which submitted no accounts or late accounts, and urged that the Auditor General report such bodies to Parliament annually. The Auditor General’s Report listed 44 bodies which had not submitted their financial statements.

Now otherwise the subject of financial controversy, NWRHA has not submitted financial statements for five years from 1999 to 2003. Moreso now coming under the NWRHA is the now defunct Central Regional Health Authority with which the NWRHA had merged but which had not submitted statements for eight years from 1994 to 2001.  The South West Regional Health Authority is still required to file for 2003. Handling the pensions of health workers, the Regional Health Authorities Pension Scheme has not properly filed for four years from 2000 to 2003, although it had submitted unsigned statements for 2000 and 2001. The Airports Authority had not submitted statements for six financial years, from 1998 to 2003, although had given draft statements for 1998 to 2001.

Chaguaramas Development Authority had missed five years from 1999 to 2003. CostaaTT had not given reports for two years from 2002 to 2003. The Industrial Relations Charitable Fund of the Recognition, Registration and Certification Board had not given statements for 26 years with an accompanying note stating that “statements have never been received.” Legal Aid Advisory authority had missed three years from 2001 to 2003. The National Carnival Commission did not file for six years from 1998 to 2003. The NHA owed statements for seven years from 1997 to 2003. MTS did not file for three years from 2001 to 2003.

The Public Transport Service Corporation did not file for eight years from 1996 to 2003. Sangre Grande Civic Centre missed filing for 28 years from 1975 to 2003. The Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Committee owed statements for six years from 1998 to 2003. The Blind Welfare Association had not filed for seven years from 1990 to 1996. The TT Racing Authority missed filing for three years from 2001 to 2003. Ten municipal corporations owed statements. These were the corporations for Arima, Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin, Penal/Debe, Point Fortin, San Fernando, San Juan/Laventille, Sangre Grande, Siparia, and Tunapuna/Piarco. The worst corporations were Siparia owing five years, and Diego Martin and Point Fortin each owing four years of statements.