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Public Accounts Committee public hearings begin

By on September 23, 2013

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives began its public hearings of the reports of the Auditor General this morning at the National Assembly building in Belmopan. 

The second meeting will take place on Wednesday at 10 am, also in the National Assembly Chambers.

Chairman of the PAC, the Honorable the member for Cayo South Mr. Julius Espat proposed a restructuring of the committee to include social partners, the business community and the churches, but that proposal has been soundly rejected by the government.

At the last meeting of the PAC, chairman Espat insisted on reviewing the most recent Auditor General’s report, but he did not get support for that move and the other members of the PAC moved to look into reports from as far back as 2003, spanning the last PUP administration. 

Media reports are that Honorable Espat walked out of the lat PAC meeting on September 4 and that when he left, the Honorable the member for Belmopan Mr. John Saldivar stepped in as acting chairman. 

According to the website of the National Assembly “the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee is chosen from among Members who do not support the Government (except at times when there is no such Member.)” 

The website further explains the functions of the PAC saying that it “has the duty of examining, considering and reporting on the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by the National Assembly to meet the public expenditure of the country; such other accounts as may be referred to the Committee by the House or under any Law; and the report of the Auditor General on any such accounts.”

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