Auditor General: No financial statements received since 2018
Auditor General Sonia Webster said her office had not received any financial statements beyond 2018, leaving a gap in financial reporting and accountability.
Webster, who appeared before the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) late last year, said her office had requested the outstanding reports. She noted that the audit of the 2018 statements was expected to be completed by the end of the month, after which her team would focus on the financial statements from 2019 to 2024.
“The financial statements would be up to date, and therefore, focus would be on the 2019 to 2024 statements,” Webster informed the Committee, adding that her department was prepared to complete the audits expeditiously once the statements were received.
The delay in financial reporting has raised concerns about governance and transparency in the territory. Webster indicated that until the missing statements were submitted, her department would continue other audit work within various government departments.
During the SFC session, Webster highlighted staffing constraints within her office, which have impacted the pace of financial audits. She reported that a new senior auditor had joined the team in December, bolstering the department’s ability to address the backlog.
Opposition Leader Ronnie Skelton questioned whether the department’s staffing levels had improved compared to previous years. Webster acknowledged the addition of new personnel but stressed the need for continuous support to ensure the timely completion of audits.
Deputy Speaker Stacy Mather also expressed concern over the situation, noting that it was “critical” to provide the Auditor General with the necessary resources to carry out her work. He warned that failing to complete financial statements promptly could reinforce negative perceptions about the BVI’s commitment to financial transparency.
When asked who was responsible for the delayed submission of financial statements, Webster pointed to the Accountant General’s office. The Accountant General is required to produce and submit financial statements before they can be audited. However, Webster noted that she had not received the reports beyond 2018.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, who was also present at the meeting, acknowledged the issue and assured the Committee that the missing statements would be forthcoming. He described financial audits as a “constitutional responsibility” and emphasised the need for the government to ensure that public funds were being used as intended.
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I’m going to borrow that Rock quote: “You can’t make this sh!t up”
Daughter of the soil, you are upstanding like the rest of your dad children (well most of the girls). Continue to have integrity unlike some of these crooks out here in high places!
Are Sloman’s accounts of the non-stop party forthcoming?
up to now we cant get the non stop jam breakdown that was specifically promised by the premier. Just a different day same old incompetence; zero progress zero accountability. them cant do nothing properly but first thing in their mouth is independence and self determination.
Wheatley strikes again, you request something or bring up a problem and he never has a solution.
This who really out here as a representation of BVI people?
Real talk the auditor general need to run next election. Honestly think she would be more capable than any one of those ministers in the government right now including the premier.
The new Public Service Management Code seems to disproportionately target lower-ranking public officers while sparing department heads and high-ranking officials. How can so many outstanding issues from 2018 remain unresolved without accountability? Yet, they want to withhold employees’ pay over this arbitrary requirement of 60 hours of training, as if we’re in some kind of reconditioning or reprogramming camp.
The COI was a failure—we are far from good governance, and I mean far. In fact, it seems like the COI was a covert effort to disrupt people’s way of life locally. Just look at the latest legislation; it appears to target ordinary citizens while the real culprits remain untouched. Not a single politician has been held accountable, despite their well-documented corruption. Their hands are as dirty as filth, yet they continue making backdoor deals, overspending, and making reckless decisions that burden taxpayers and future generations.
Life only gets harder every time they open their mouths, yet we still line up to vote. The real problem is that the majority is not heard—only a select few get front-row seats to political events and lucrative contracts. The ongoing mismanagement of government funds is nothing short of a Ponzi scheme, and if it doesn’t end, we are destined to fail. Frankly, I’m sick and tired of these people. This is why, inevitably, AI will take over governance—and that thought is even more terrifying.
Pah… financial statements….who needs them? BVI again leading the world with its fact free government.