For the first time since the Public Management and Finance Law was introduced, public sector entities across the board have kept to the deadline to submit financial statements to the Auditor General’s Office.

Wednesday 31st August, is the date by which all Ministries, Portfolios and Office that make-up central Government along with Statutory Authorities and Government-Owned Companies are required by the Public Management and Finance Law to have prepared their individual financial statements and have them submitted to the Auditor General’s Office for examination.

The Premier and Minister for Finance, the Hon. W. McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP, stated, “This is a great accomplishment by public servants and it reflects the Government’s drive and determination to achieve the expectations of the Law and those of the public. My Government congratulates all public servants on this accomplishment.”

The next step in the process is to consolidate the 13 individual financial statements from central Government’s Ministries, Portfolios and Offices, with the financial statements from 26 Statutory Authorities and Government Owned Companies, to produce a single set of financial statements that represents the results and position of the Entire Public Sector. The legal deadline for such consolidated accounts is 31st   October.

Today’s accomplishment represents the hard work of: Chief Officers, Chief Financial Officers in central Government and the wider public sector, a Co-ordination Team that was established in June – comprising of Mrs. Debra Welcome, Accountant General , Mr. Ian Fenton, Acting Chief Officer-Portfolio of the Civil Service and Mr. Ronnie Dunn, Director of Budget and Management Unit – and an Oversight Committee that consisted of  Mr. Donovan Ebanks, the Deputy Governor, Mr. Kenneth Jefferson, the Financial Secretary and Mrs. Sonia McLaughlin, the Deputy Financial Secretary.