Permanent Secretaries, Regional Executive Officers and other accounting officers are being placed at the centre of a strengthened accountability system aimed at improving how public resources are managed across ministries, regions and state agencies.
Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo outlined the administration’s expectations during a high-level meeting held on Monday, September 7, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
The engagement brought together ministers, all Permanent Secretaries and Regional Executive Officers, accounting officers from key semi-autonomous agencies and other officials responsible for implementing government programmes and managing public funds.
The meeting examined initiatives to strengthen the tracking of compliance in procurement transactions and government payment systems. This would allow breaches and administrative weaknesses to be more closely identified across the public sector.
Jagdeo emphasised that Permanent Secretaries and Regional Executive Officers have a direct responsibility to ensure that their agencies comply with applicable laws and regulations while managing the resources entrusted to them efficiently.
Officials were cautioned that breaches and violations would attract consequences for those responsible, signalling that agency heads and accounting officers could be held personally answerable for failures occurring under their supervision.
The approach places greater emphasis on continuous monitoring rather than waiting until irregularities are discovered after transactions or projects have been completed.
The wider objective is to strengthen discipline throughout the public service, safeguard state resources and ensure that government programmes are implemented effectively for the benefit of citizens.