Public Accounts Committee debates audit backlog and spending scrutiny

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is facing internal tension regarding the management of audit backlogs and the scrutiny of government spending. Tensions arose during a recent session as members debated a proposal to consolidate multiple years of outstanding annual reports into fewer hearings to save time and resources.

PAC Chairman Vishnu Panday expressed opposition to this consolidation, arguing that combining reports from years such as 2020 to 2024 could undermine the committee’s effectiveness and fail to meet public expectations for detailed scrutiny. Panday emphasized that government agencies should account for their activities on a year-by-year basis. Conversely, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill defended the consolidation, stating that the current method of addressing reports year-by-year is costly and an inefficient use of public resources.

Amid these debates, Auditor General Deodat Sharma has successfully presented the Report of the Auditor General for the 2025 fiscal year ahead of the September 30 deadline. This marks his sixth consecutive year meeting the statutory deadline, despite a significant increase in government spending, which rose from $329.5 billion in 2020 to $1.382 trillion in 2025. The committee is also addressing concerns regarding contract management and the extension of the Auditor General beyond the standard retirement age.