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Auditor General David Dennis
By Andrea Ma’ahanua
A total of 10 evaluation reports on the Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) are yet to be released to the public.
In its latest audit report, the Office of the Auditor General identified this as a barrier to transparency and accountability as evaluating the effectiveness of the package is vested on government authorities.
Auditor General, David Dennis explained his office recommends the immediate release of these reports.
“During the course of our audit, we had identified that the Government had not publicly released evaluation reports on the ESP… Our recommendation here is to make those 10 reports on the evaluation of the ESP available to the public.”
However, the independence of the consultant tasked with the evaluation program has also raised red flags.
The auditor’s office found that the individual in question was also a member of the ESP Technical Committee and had also received money from the ESP.
“Money received included payment for services as a consultant to the committee, running the evaluation program, a grant for an agricultural business and also some rent relief for a tenant,” he said.
It is difficult to see how someone who received over a million dollars from the ESP could be perceived as a suitably independent person to evaluate the ESP.” Dennis emphasized.
The ESP Oversight Committee has noted the recommendation and stated that the reports will be published after they are presented in parliament.
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