2012 - 2016 audits an ‘enormous’ task - AG Phil Sharman
Mr Sharman, a United Kingdom national, was appointed to the post by former Governor John S. Duncan OBE, who left the territory recently after completing his contractual stint here.
Sharman commenced his duties as Auditor General earlier this month and, while speaking with reporters on August 22, 2017 following the swearing in of the new governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert, gave a heads-up not to expect the outstanding audited reports anytime soon.
The territory has been without an Auditor General since Ms Sonia M. Webster resigned from the post in the latter quarter of 2015.
Up to the challenge
"To complete an audit for 1 year is a sizable task. To complete it for four years and then the current year is going to be enormous but we are up to the challenge," said Sharman adding that with the proper support, him and his team will complete the task in due course.
According to Sharman, the reports for 2010 and 2011 have been completed and taken to the House of Assembly but the outstanding for 2012 to 2015 are prepared in batches and are currently on his desk. However, those for 2016 are still in the office of the Accountant General.
"I will be working closely with the Financial Secretary to work out a recovery plan for those back logged years so that we can bring those forward to the House in due course.... That is not going to be an overnight process.”
While welcomed in some sections, Sharman and other UK nationals have not been. Many feel their appointment is strategic to impose again full British rule over the territory.
The Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D Orlando Smith (AL) has come under heavy fire for allowing the former governor to step in and saturate the most senior positions in the public sector with UK nationals. The Superintendent of Prisons, Commissioner of Police, Director of Public Prosecutions and the Auditor General are all UK nationals.
Meanwhile, the non-production of the territory’s financial audits has been a "hot topic" for quite some time with Members of the Opposition, the media and the public, continuing to call for them.
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20 Responses to “2012 - 2016 audits an ‘enormous’ task - AG Phil Sharman”
However had it been a local that made that same statement, it would have been an unacceptable statement. Many times locals are expected to work twice as hard as expats for the same task with less pay.