The Auditor General’s 2021 Report has highlighted a significant reduction in overpayments on contracts when compared to the years for which the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change was in office.
Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, in his latest report, said overpayments amounted to $52.996M. Sharma said this was for measured works on 37 contracts administered by ministries and regions in 2021.
In the previous year, 2020, which was rocked by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the tumultuous five-month-long General and Regional Elections, overpayments stood at $11.375M in respect of five contracts. Three were administered by the Ministry of Education and one contract in the sum of $0.748M was managed by the Office of the Regional Democratic Council in Region 4.
In 2019 however, details from the Auditor General’s 2019 report show that some $199.381M was overpaid by the APNU+AFC regime for four major governmental projects administered by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Telecommunications, Guyana Defence Force and Transport and Harbours Department. Included in the sum are amounts totalling $145M and $25.529M, which were overpaid on the rehabilitation of the Leguan Stelling, and the expansion of offices at the Civil Defence Commission Headquarters, respectively. Compared to 2021, overpayments would have dropped by $147M.
With respect to prior years, Guyana Standard found that overpayments amounting to $82.658M were made on measured works across 98 contracts administered in 2016.
Overpayments amounting to $71.738M were made in respect of measured works on 79 contracts in 2017.
There was also a large bill of overpayments in 2018 totalling $166.076M.
