The government’s Rapid Financial and Management Assessment Team (RF&MAT) will be working pro bono, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, clarified today.
Pro bono is short for the Latin phrase pro bono publico, which means “for the public good.” The term generally refers to services that are rendered by a professional, either for free or at a significantly reduced cost to the recipient—that is, on a pro bono basis (Investopedia).
“We have established a rapid assessment team – which is working pro bono because I saw some questions on social media about how much they were being paid, and what was the selection process, and when this was tendered, etcetera, etcetera…It is to give the President, in the shortest possible time, an assessment of key state agencies,” Gail said during a virtual briefing today.
Two days ago, President Dr. Irfaan Ali appointed a special technical team comprising Christopher ‘Kit” Nascimento , Public Communications Consultant; Christopher Ram, Chartered Accountant and Attorney–at-law; Nigel Hinds, Certified Public Accountant; and Sasenarine Singh, Financial Consultant to immediately conduct a “Rapid Financial and Management Assessment” of the following agencies:
• Guyana Power and Light
• Guyana Water Incorporated
• Guyana Geology and Mines Commission
• Central Housing and Planning Authority
• Guyana Forestry Commission
• Guyana Gold Board
• National Industrial and Commercial Limited
• Guyana Lands and Survey Commission
• The Lotto Fund
• Guyana Energy Agency
• Guyana Rice Development Board
• Guyana Oil Company
• Guyana National Shipping Corporation
• Guyana Office of Investment (Go-Invest)
• Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)
The team will also be conducting a review of the operations, policies and programmes of the Department of Public Information (DPI), the National Communications Network Incorporated (NCN) and the Guyana National Newspaper Limited (Guyana Chronicle).
The team will further address the matter of the functions of the Guyana Broadcasting Authority (GNBA).
