Joint Legislative Public Accounts Committee Begins Public Hearing for Ministries and Agencies of Government Following Auditor Generals’ Report
By: William K. Howard
Capitol Hill: The Joint Public Accounts Committee of the National Legislature, comprising; the House of Representatives (HOR) and the Liberian Senate, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 public hearings into the Auditor General reports.
They include the Auditor General’s report on the financial statements audit of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW), National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), and Liberia Opportunities Industrialization Center (LOIC) for the fiscal period of June 30, 2019 through June 30, 2021, period of June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2020 and the financial statement audit on the Liberia Road Asset Management Project of the Ministry of Public Works for the period July 1, 2020 through June 30, and July 1, 2021 to 2022 respectfully.
During the hearings, detailed questions were placed to those representing their respective institutions by members of the PAC committee, to determine whether the audits conducted by the Auditor General will come to light.
Speaking during the opening ceremony Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at the Capitol building, the Joint Committee Chairperson in Margibi county District #5 Representative Clarence G. Gahr, said the hearings are in accordance with section 4.2 D of the General Auditing Commission act of 2015.
The PAC joint assured the public that the process also seeks to accord due process as required by law, void of politics, ethnicity and religion.
Rep. Gahr also added that witnesses will be given a chance throughout the hearing process to explain themselves and provide further information about the Auditor General’s opinion.
While the hearings is taken place every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Gahr, head of joint PAC further lamented that there are few reasons leading to the conduct of public hearings including naming, shaming and restitution.
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