CIG still failing on public cash transparency
(CNS): Government entities have not yet published more than one quarter of the financial reports outlining how they spent public money over the four year period, 2015–16 to 2019, covered in the latest report by Auditor General Sue Winspear. Despite significant improvement in government accounting, in many areas there is still a lack of transparency, as too many financial statements and annual reports have not been tabled in the Parliament, preventing them from becoming public documents, she said. In 2019 government collected over $1.1 billion in revenue and spending has increased by over 30% since 2016, but in some cases the public remains in the dark about how their cash was historically spent.
“Despite the improvement in financial reporting, there continues to be a lack of accountability and transparency, as many financial statements and annual reports have not been presented to, or tabled in, the Parliament,” Winspear said. “This is an essential part of the accountability process.”
In the report, “Improving Financial Accountability and Transparency: Financial Management and Reporting”, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) said the public sector has an obligation to provide a lot of information to those it is collecting the money from. “It is essential that such information is as transparent as possible, and it should therefore be easily accessible, easy to understand, timely and reliable,” the report stated.
But government is falling down on both timely release and the accessibility of the information and the office continues to urge government to make financial reporting more understandable. But the annual reports that accompany financial statements vary “significantly” in quality and don’t provide all of the information required, making it difficult for readers to determine how financial performance and the provision of public services are linked, if at all, the audit stated.
The latest report is one of a series relating to government’s financial management and reporting and it provides a summary of financial performance at the entire public sector (EPS) level and assesses performance against the six principles for responsible financial management for core government required by the Public Management and Finance Act.
“The Government has performed well against most of the principles of responsible financial management,” said Winspear. “However, it is essential that the Government reports its actual performance against the principles in a clear, accurate and timely manner.”
According to the auditor, as at February 2021, 118 of 160 sets (74%) of audited financial statements for the four years 2015–16 to 2019 had been tabled, though only 66 were tabled within six months of the completion of the audit; 17 sets of audited financial statements for 2019 had still not been tabled.
“This is a major gap in transparency and accountability, as essential information on public finances is not being made publicly available when it should be, and this inhibits scrutiny by the public and decision makers, such as Members of Parliament,” the report found.
The finance ministry has acknowledged the concerns over the timeliness of annual reports being tabled in the Parliament, and it has committed to continuing working with the public sector to improve the situation. The delay has been blamed on the lack of meetings of Parliament, but the auditor has suggested that these reports can be tabled between sittings, done in other jurisdictions using the Westminster model.
“Our review of other Parliaments’ Standing Orders found that reports and documents can be tabled throughout the year as part of routine operational business and that Parliament staff prepare daily business bulletins that list all reports and documents tabled that day and publish them on websites,” the auditor general said. “This approach allows for timely tabling and publication of annual reports and financial statements, which improves transparency.
We encourage the newly formed Parliament to consider adopting this approach.”
Winspear said although things have improved, there is still more to be done and this report outlines 16 recommendations aimed at further improving financial management and reporting across the public sector.
“Some of these recommendations are aimed at improving transparency and they will need buy-in from politicians to change the way the Parliament operates. I strongly encourage officials and elected members to seize the opportunity to do this as the Parliament establishes itself as a new, independent entity,” she added.
See the full report on the OAG website or the CNS Library.
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Category: Government Finance, Government oversight, Politics
Many employees have no awareness of cost/profit margin; lights are left on in empty meeting rooms, a paperless culture is not enforced throughout government, people are paid while under investigation. There is just no conscious effort to pursue value for money from the junior employees up the chain. All that adds up to wasted public funds.
We all deserve a duty allowance each of $500 to bring in goods. We can’t travel. CIG ?!!
It seems that the new government has gone silent on all of these issues. Do they only make noise when they are trying to reach the top?
Don’t worry…Mr. Saunders will straighten this out.
It’s really hard to publish reports in Parliament if there is no meeting of Parliament.
Pls take care to avoid covid. Good truly loves u, pls stay safe and get vaccinated asap, do NOT skip 2nd dose of the vaccine, as only after 2 weeks of the 2nd dose you’re fully vaccinated + keep using a mask to avoid any infections to unvaccinated groups you may have some amounts of virus from previous infections. Eat and exercise healthy to not get any clots. Others and I too love u! Luke 14 :25-33 Forsake everything everyone and your life for J
Luke 16 :13 Work for J not for $, and J will give you also your family food and clothing if they follow too
Matthew 25 :34-36, Matthew 6 :3-4 and Luke 12 :33 Sell all you have and give to the poor who are dying in need, and keep every giving in secret
Mark 16 :15 and John 17 :22 Share the Truth to all working together in love also peace
Revelation 13 :16-17 and 14 :9-11 Never take mark of the beast right hand or forehead the only way to buy or sell, But it is not a covid vaccine or a mask, may be some microchip implant or quantum tech
Revelation 17 :15-18 and 18 :8-10 USA is very possibly the Babylon to be destroyed in 1 hour with fire.
Huh?
Lovesall – Gimme some of what you’re smoking!
There are no gods,…. but there are lots of rich preachers.
I recommend that the AG refer those non-compliant to a dismal meeting and exit interview, and the worst offenders to DPP for prosecution under the law.
Our compliant minister of finance will sort this out right.?
Right to private life (enshrined in section 9, Bill of Rights) provides for personal autonomy over ones body.
If some does not want to be vaccinated, then that is their own choice, which government cannot do anything about.
Stop making silly comments, which are not helping. Some may be very frustrated that others are not choosing to get vaccinated.
I have chosen not to be vaccinated, at least, until I can understand more about the side affects and consequences.
I would like to have children and do nothing want to have complications, or detrimentally affect my future children.
It would be beneficial to have more informative explanations to the public. It feels like the message is: “ Get vaccinated. This is the right thing to do.” However, I want to know what I’m getting into when I get the jab.
Also, I have heard a lot of what the CMO, Dr. Lee, has had to say. However, with respect, Dr. Lee is not credible. After reading the Doctors Express case, I cannot ever trust Dr. Lee.
Maybe we can ask the former Minister of Health to articulate the risks. I’m sure he would at least provide comedic relief.
Where are you even? Can’t even troll the right article. Go outside.
Have a look at the subsidy money (about $2.1 million per annum for 2020 2021) the finance committee provided to Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association (CILPA), which was unlawful and violates the Public Management and Finance Act.
The purchase agreement is ultra vires and, moreover, CILPA gave the money to Cayman Attorneys Regulation Authority (“CARA”), which is not mentioned in the terms of the Purchase Agreement.
CARA has been attempting to self-regulate the legal profession for AML purposes. It is a massive failure.
The Auditor General and Public Accounts Committee seriously need to look into this fiasco. Alden and the Attorney General set this unlawful scenario up as a favor to the large law firms.
When will Mr. Manderson be held accountable?
politicians dont want transparency..so great job CFO’s…keep up good work!!! ZZZZZ
No surprise!!!! Finance has two employees with identical job descriptions, but one is paid in bank K while the other says pay is band L. Now tell me how the hell can two people doing identical work with identical job descriptions/contracts be paid with different salary scales?
Probably one is a man (the higher paid one) and one is a woman (lower paid but does all the work).
10.51am Why are 2 people doing the same job – only in Cayman!.
No surprise, that is where their power comes from, they need unfettered access to a slush fund. We have clearly seen that the Cayman electorate runs on cash, not policy.
“World Class Civil service”
Pound sign.
£ there
That’s Sterling. Try again.
# ?
I keep hearing this world class BS! What a pile of horse…! They don’t even answer phone calls in Govt!
heads will roll for this…..not.
we all know there is no such thing as accountability in the civil service.
just another day in wonderland.
So much for a transparent and world class civil service.
The buck stops with Franz Manderson and his his picked group of civil service senior management. The double standards up in here is disgusting rules only apply to some. Audit need to look at all the chief officers and how they manage or fail to manage their portfolio.
Uncivil you are so wrong. Our amazing DG cannot compel the SAGC’s to table the reports and even the DG can’t tell the Parliament to meet so that the reports can be tabled.
So I suggest you focus on the staggering improvement the civil service has made in this area.
If the only complaint the AG has is that the unqualified audit reports are not tabled then we really have a world class civil service.
Proud civil servant – if tabling only 66 financial statements to Parliament in the last 4 years, out of 160, in the required time frame, is a “staggering” improvement for goodness sake how bad was it before.Just read the Compass aricle of May 20th to see all the failures of Govt departments, forget the SAGC’s, it’s the Civil Service the AG was complaining about. By the way do you ever answer your phone to calls from the public?.,
You’re joking,….. right?
The accomplice to crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference.Where is our good governor Roper for goodness sake??? What exactly is he doing???
Trying to stay out of the steaming pile of crap that is Caymanian politics. Smart man. He will be the one to step in later and try to save the economy.
Now that’s FUNNY!
Watch yourself premier Panton same old crew that put Alden boat on the Reef is looking to sink your ship down in deep water! You better drape up and remove some of these old Captains and chief mates I see on the helm before they cause a mutiny onboard!
Well well Mr DG and now we see the truth too many sidebar business secret dealings and civil service financial transparency misconduct with travel expenses and inflated salaries and pay raises to senior management whilst leaving the “Workers” to struggle and try to make ends meet. How hypocritically disgusting whilst preaching pure bull$#!% about world class for Who may i ask?? Thank you Mrs Winspear at least we know you are doing your job just like the rest of the hard working civil servants. Wayne you had better pull up ya friend socks and instead of allowing him to waste time juggling around and protecting his little “Pets” in the new govt.
Cayman Sanction You have it exactly right.All the bigwigs in Govt Service will never crack down on the abuse of expenses or reveal the unearned payrises they award each other as those at the top know if they do this, their own abuses will be revealed.The lack of information in this important area is highlighted in today’s Compass article and show’s Government’s contempt for the taxpayer supported by their traditional and absolute lack of accountability
9:20 rubbish! the majority of the reports not published are from the run away SAGC’s. Which is not the DG’s responsibility.
Leave our DG alone he is doing an amazing job.
Ok so whose are the 17 sets of 2019 reports that have not been filed?
Read carefully, “only 66 were tabled within six months of the completion of the audit; 17 sets of audited financial statements for 2019 had still not been tabled.”
The financial statements have been audited and it is the responsibility of Cabinet to table them in Parliament, at which time they become public documents.
The only reason I can see for this is that there is something in the audit that reflects poorly on the Minister, so don’t confuse yourself and try to categorize this as some sort of Civil Service incompetence.
No idea what your point is, but I would like to know who’s have not been tabled. That would be a start on figuring out what is going on when and if the reports see the light of day.
Looking at you Ministry of Health 👀