The Foreign Affairs Ministry (MoFA) has improved the financial management of its overseas missions, according to MoFA Director General Audrey Waddle.
Waddle appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday to answer to financial discrepancies highlighted in the 2015 Auditor General’s Report. She noted that the MoFA has since strengthened its Economic Planning and Management Unit (EPMU) and installed home based accountants to ensure timely submission of reports. This Unit was not functioning, Director General Waddle pointed out.
The 2015 Auditor General’s Report highlighted a substantial sum of unspent balances that were not paid over to the Consolidated Fund. The Director General told the PAC that all unspent balances were repaid to the Fund in 2016. Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has also improved its system for reconciling advances to missions. The audit report noted outstanding advances that dated back to 2009.
According to a Government Information Agency report, Waddle explained that the Foreign Affairs Ministry is working closely with the respective missions to clear outstanding advances. Guyana’s most senior diplomat explained that the advances are usually approved for emergency or late notice travel to meetings from the Missions’ funds. Late submission of clearance forms were highlighted as a reason for the outstanding balances.
Currently, the MoFA has implemented a system that holds further advances until Missions submit their clearance forms.
