Auditor General: Disappointed By Delay

February 5, 2011

office_of_the_auditor_general_1Auditor General, Heather A. Jacobs Matthews [pictured] commented yesterday [Feb. 4] on the tabling of the audited financial statements of the Bermuda Government’s Consolidated Fund for the year ended March 31, 2010, stating that she was disappointed that it had taken so long for the financial statements to be tabled.

“The Consolidated Fund financial statements were issued on October 28, 2010 and should have been available for tabling in the House of Assembly shortly after that date,” she said. “This delay is not in keeping with the principles of transparency and accountability and has resulted in Members of the House of Assembly and the public not having timely access to important information.”

Mrs. Jacobs Matthews noted that her Auditor’s Opinion on the 2009/10 Consolidated Fund financial statements was qualified, as it had been in the previous year when there were serious deficiencies in internal control over the management of various development projects.

She explained that the deficiencies led her to question the appropriateness of certain transactions and the underlying value of assets as at March 31, 2009.

“As a consequence of last year’s qualification, and without the benefit of an independent professional valuation on the assets in question, I am still unable to determine whether adjustments might be necessary to tangible capital assets, assets under construction and the accumulated deficit as at March 31, 2010,” reported the Auditor General.

The Ministry of Finance moved swiftly to refute the assertion in the Auditor General’s release stating that she was disappointed it had taken so long for the financial statements to be tabled.

A spokesperson said: ” However, on review, it can be confirmed that the final signed report was received from the Auditor General on 28 October 2010. The compiling of the full set of statements by the Accountant General, receiving a cost effective quote and the printing process, returned bound copies to the Ministry in December, after the House had recessed for the Christmas break. The Ministry of Finance asserts the financial statements were tabled at the earliest possible time.”

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  1. Terry says:

    What a load of tripe. Nothing more than lip service to the voters of the PLP.

    Heather has done a tremendous job of reigning in results that are required to be done in a timely manner.

    “The Ministry of Finance moved swiftly to refute”. LOL…..

    The irony of all this is the fact that PLP members of Parliament are so outspoken and keep the public up too date.

    I need one of my Larry Dennis pills.

    • well.... says:

      It feels so strange to agree with you. I usually read your comments and shake my head. Nice to see Bermudians agreeing. ^_^

    • well.... says:

      Though it’s unfortunate given the subject.

  2. Cleancut says:

    Some members in Government must be pretty relieved that another auditor Generals furnace is slowly burning out. What else is left? Apart from calling in Scotland Yard to investigate. At the end of the day, tracks are covered, and Time Forgets.

  3. Hmmmmm says:

    How very interesting. The Auditor General couldn’t wait to release the TCD Report whether the House was in session or not. BUT, has said nothing since 28th October about the delay with this Report. One rule for Dr. Brown, another rule for Paula Cox. Proof that in this country the leader who says and does little is the one preferred. Many of us are paying attention to the free ride Ms. Cox is getting from the media, the unions, and the usual critics. “Thin reading” says the Gazette about the 100 Day Report. In Dr. Brown’s time it would’ve been called spin. Happy Love Festival Month.

    • Robert Bryce says:

      So based on your comments Hmmmmmmm, your preferred approach is a leader who is seen, says and promises the world but does little except retire early and wealthy and leave the country with a massive debt?

  4. amused says:

    Once again another unqualified audit that the government has a laissez-fiare attitude about. According to the Auditor Generals Report on the Vehicle Emissoins Program, BECL was contracted to set an emissions standard by testing a representative sample of 600-900 vehicles. They have been in operation for over 2 years, so is one to assume that it takes 2 years to test 900 vehicles to obtain an emissions standard. Whose reponsibility is it to regulate the facility or was that overlooked too?? But why should that be a shock when it seems that government could care less about enforcing its own financial instructions. I wonder what would happen if I refused to have my vehicle emission tested….would my vehicle fail as this seems to be the only way it could fail becauase all vehicles seem to be passing the emissions test. How much more money will be spent before these overruns are addressed? Dont hold your breath!!! The Auditor General is doing an excellent job, guess the government is finding it hard not to play the race card.

  5. Hmmmmm says:

    Mr. Bryce, you might accuse Dr. Brown of many things, but doing little is not one of them. Check your Opposition’s position; the complaint is that he did too much.

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      So…please give us a few examples of SIGNIFICANT good Brown did for the Island. Yea yeah yeah, Beyonce came here…Big deal! He bought faster ferrys which shaved all of a few minutes off the Dockyard to Hamiton route & are a huge loss to the public. Did he do anything for tourism? Nope. Pretty much trashed that with the help of his friends at Global Hue. He bought buses which sit in the yard rusting away. He trashed Bermudas good reputation around the world. What do we have to show for $1B debt under the Brown regime?

      Your turn Hmmmmmmmm, what good, exactly, DID Brown do?

      • Bottom Line says:

        Dr. Brown was the worse Premier Bermuda ever had. The fact that Paula Cox is doing everything she can to distance herself from him is all the proof you need…she goes so far as to call her administration a “new administration”.

    • Cleancut says:

      Dr. Brown did many good things? thats what we keep hearing. what if in 1998 the UBP Won, what great things would that party have done for Bermuda up until now. I quess we can only just dream. we can list the accomplishments, but not UBP’S. WHAT A SHAME!

      • Triangle Drifter says:

        Still waiting…What did Brown do? What has the PLP done of significance for that matter? Berkley at 100% over contract, & counting, is a disgrace not an accomplishment. Unfunded medical care for the aged is incompetence, not an accomplishment. Want more?

        The UBP has not done a thing since 1998 but then, the voters in their collective wisdom, has voted them out & kept them out three times. The electorate keeps lapping up the Kool Aid not having the slightest clue of how deep Bermuda is in trouble & who put us there.

        What if the UBP, or a party of similar vision & management expertise, were in power from 1998? Well Bermuda would not be racking up interest charges at $100,000.00 per day for starters. Beyonnce probably would not have come here, nor the PGA. IB would be feeling much more welcome instead of running for the airport. Quite a few Bermudians who have sold up & left would still be here. The brain drain would not be underway. The world recession, which the western world is pulling out of, would have been prepared for, not ignored, & job losses that you see today would not be anywhere near what they are. Bermuda has been through recessions before since the 60s. Most of us hardly noticed them. That was not through luck or hope. It was because of good fiscal management.

        Again Hmmmmmm & Cleancut, what has Brown & the PLP done for Bermuda?

        Anything FREE does not count either. Nothing is free. Governments can only give if they have taken from somebody else. Also, Governments cannot borrow their way into prosperity.

        • itwasn'tme says:

          why bother to defend politicians PLP or UBP? Are you guys such big fans of these individuals that you’ll take up for them? Believe me, they don’t need nor appreciate your support until election time.

    • navin r johnson says:

      It is a shame that he did nothing as we would be so much better off. Everything he did was counterproductive and designed to get votes and appeal to the sheeple. Nothing is free as we continue to find out everyday…The best thing Brown could have done for Bermuda other than staying in LA was to do nothing during his 4 years..

    • 32n64w says:

      You’re right Hmmmmmmmmm, he was very active. Just not for Bermuda.

  6. Born Again Bermudian says:

    Its so refreshing to have an Auditor General who can do a her job without being called a racist.

  7. Hmmmmm says:

    I slept while you ranted. I do so agree with you Triangle. “nothing is free. Governments can only give if they have taken from somebody else”. Absolutely. The question is, can you step outside your hate and accept that there is at least another way to run Bermuda? Can you accept for just one minute that taking from IB and retail and all the others who have always called the shots in this country is permissible to support seniors with prescription drug benefits, hundreds of people with FutureCare when big insurers refuse to insure them or don’t care what happens after British American collapsed? Is it too much to ask that the maid and her children get to work and school in air conditioned buses or brand new ferries? Is it ok if for a change the hard-working family of three or four gets to go to Disney and New York because they can afford two trips and not one? Is it ok with you that the people of St. David’s and St. George’s can get stitches without going to Paget? Do you mind that a taxi driver can drive a loaner taxi while his car is being repaired? Is it alright with you that families with young children can save money now that they have their child care costs met? I have no problem if you disagree with any or all of these programmes. I have no problem if you want to go back to the “Bermuda Inc.” days where business comes first and people a distant second. All of that is fine by me because I’m adult enough to accept that there are distinct political and economic philosophies in the world. What I cannot handle is a hate filled rant that ignores a political reality: Dr. Brown did much for the people of this country. They know it. They enjoy it every day and they are prepared to pay for it. The issue is that you and others like you don’t want them to have it at the expense of anyone, least of those that can afford it. If you think that a 2% payroll tax increase matters a jot to companies declaring billion dollar profits then its no wonder all you and others can talk about is the balance sheet. I’m in those boardrooms every day when they laugh at this Government’s nickel and dime tax policy. Listen to the Premier’s comments from her 100 Day Report press conference. Even she now has to admit that her Government’s spending may have been high but necessary. Keep calling us stupid. Keep being ruled by hate. Keep telling us that what we have we don’t deserve. The next election will tell you what we think of your rhetoric.

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      Hmmmmmm, I see you have had a good sleep & have produced a rant of your own.

      In reality I could not care less which political party runs the Governmet as long as they can do it a competent & fiscally responseible way. I care even less of what the colour of their skin is. Given the 12 year track record of the PLP, it should be very clear to all that they are totally inept at the job of being Government. Need reminding of all the failures again?

      I’d prefer not to have political partys at all. I would prefer to have independents voted in by proportional representation. That is a whole nuther subject.

      No doubt the PLP will be voted in again. The sheeple will have their way. Having the numbers does not mean having the wisdom. The less the PLP supporters understand about the Islands situation the better. Keep feeding them the Kool Aid & they will stay out in the field doing what they are told to do. New Masters are running the Plantation.

      I believe it was Sir Winston Churchill who was onced asked if the democratic system was a good one? His response was words to the effect of “Talk to an average voter for five minutes & see how much he truly understands of how Government & the world in general works & you will have your answer.” In other words most people understand very little beyond their own little worlds. As long as polititians tell the ignorant masses what they want to hear they will get the vote.

  8. SJS says:

    Shut UbP. Go away BDA. Let the sheePLP govern the way they may.

    There is no way forward.

    Look to Eygpt.

    Or look to independant candidates.

    My brothers and sisters, we have been in a crisis for a while, and it looks grim.

    Why haven’t,

    “Anti corruption legislation”

    And

    “Whistle blower legislation”

    Been at the fore of all our social “concience”. It’s a moral issue, it’s Sunday, either you want to regain your soul, or, you have destined yourself not to lie down in green pastures..

    It’s up to all of us to decide.

    SJS