Auditor General presents 2003 public accounts
Stabroek News
January 1, 2005
Outgoing Auditor General Anand Goolsarran yesterday presented the long-awaited report of the public accounts for the year 2003 to the Speaker of the National Assembly after a series of delays.
During the presentation, a visibly emotional Goolsarran, who leaves on Sunday for another United Nations appointment, said yesterday was special for him since on that day 14 years ago in 1990, he had taken the oath of office as Auditor General.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament Winston Murray said: "I am sad that [Goolsarran] is leaving at this time. His reports over the years have always been professionally done. If they are not presented dead on time, they always were submitted within a reasonable time [after the deadline]."
Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran thanked Goolsarran for the reports. "I can assure you that the report will be tabled in the National Assembly as soon as possible," he said, adding that the report will also be presented to the Chairman of the PAC for a rigorous examination.
This year, the lateness of the report from various government agencies and staff constraints at the Auditor General's Department made for a three-month delay after the September 15 deadline for presentation to the Speaker of the National Assembly.
After the presentation in the Ceremonial Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Goolsarran said it is always difficult to choose the right time to leave. "I have always believed that one should exit at the high point of his career...I don't know if I have achieved that," he said.
According to Goolsarran, while on assignment in Sierra Leone, Africa, he told his director he had unfinished work in Guyana and he wanted to come home and finish what he had set out to do. He had sought an extension of his contract because of the situation in the country at the time. He said since returning to Guyana every day has been stressful for him and has been telling on his health.
He said that he is leaving on Sunday to take up a further UN posting which will entail coordinating the work of the external auditors of the UN.