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by pltm
(PLTM) - Newly appointed Auditor General of the Virgin Islands, Mr. Phil Sharman, has vowed to bring up to date the financial audits of the government, which has been outstanding under the National Democratic Party (NDP) for several years.
Sharman reported to work on Monday, August 14, and promised to make the reports a top priority.
According to the Deputy Governor's Office, Mr. Sharman said his priorities as Auditor General will be two-fold. The first will be to get the public finance reporting up to date and that his team in the Office of the Auditor General will work closely with the Office of the Accountant General and the Financial Secretary to do so. He described this task as an “important public reporting requirement.”
His second immediate priority is to build the capacity and capability of the Audit Office while assisting the Public Accounts Committee in its work.
The Auditor General said he will be able to serve the people of the Virgin Islands effectively in the role of Auditor General as he has held similar positions previously.
Speaking to the present realities he said, “It is going to be challenging though because one of the things we are facing is an arrears in financial reporting and we need to be able to get the audits up to date now that we have the accounts with us, and that’s going to be a big part of my work.”
Mr. Sharman said he is honoured to take this position as Auditor General and that it is a constitutional office he fully respects and understands the obligations it brings.
The Auditor General said he will use the time of his contractual appointment to serve the people of the Virgin Islands and the House of Assembly to ensure that there is proper accountability and good governance.
Mr. Sharman’s first day commenced with courtesy visits to officials including the Acting Governor Mrs. Rosalie Adams; Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE; and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie.
Opposition Leader, Hon. Fahie has been calling on the government to produce the financial statements to allow the people to know the true state of the Territory's finances.
He said that the opposition will continue to mount pressure on the government.
"...We will continue to seek answers that show us clearly the state of the territory’s finances and how your hard earned tax payers’ dollars have been spent. In this regard, we will be embarking on a robust accountability through the Public Accounts Committee, with a view of holding the elected government accountable for every allocated fund," Hon. Fahie previously noted.
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