The Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP) has addressed public misinterpretations stemming from its use of the term “unaccounted for” in relation to recent findings from the Auditor General’s reports.
These reports highlight a multi-year failure by some Ministries and Departments to submit required annual appropriation accounts under the Financial Administration and Audit Act. The value of those reports amounted to $3 trillion.
JAMP emphasized that without the submission of these reports, no audits can be conducted, leaving the accuracy, legal compliance, or potential misuse of funds unverified. The organization clarified that its findings never implied that funds were missing.
In the initial article, published by the Jamaica Gleaner on December 5, Jeanette Calder, executive director of JAMP, emphasized that while the funds are not necessarily missing, the lack of transparency creates room for potential mismanagement or misuse.
This was also noted in a December 11 statement by the Minister of Finance Fayval Williams during a post-cabinet press briefing.
“These accounts are critical to good governance and transparency,” the Minister said, noting that the Ministry is committed to allocating additional resources to help clear the backlog. “We will work with the Ministries involved to ensure the timely completion of these reports to the Auditor General’s standards.”
The Minister clarified that many of the outstanding accounts stem from fiscal years 2012/2013 to 2015/2016, creating challenges for subsequent administrations to address the accumulated backlog. Minister Williams also sought to reassure Jamaicans about the mechanisms in place to ensure accountability in public spending.
Despite repeated efforts to clarify the term’s intended meaning, the misinterpretation has persisted, overshadowing critical issues requiring attention. In response, JAMP has announced the withdrawal of the term “unaccounted for” from its communications. Instead, the organization will now state: “Auditor General reports over the last 11 years indicate that financial reports for some three trillion dollars of public funds are outstanding.”
Additionally, JAMP has revised the title of its ongoing letter-to-parliament campaign to: “Three Trillion Dollars+ of Appropriation Accounts Outstanding.”
The organization reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring accountability in the management of public funds and encouraged focus on resolving the underlying issues.
