Chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Member of Parliament (MP) for South Malaita, has condemned the failure by the Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) for not turning up in the PAC meeting summoned for their budget hearing.
Rick Hou was speaking in the Parliament yesterday when presenting the PAC report on the 2015 Appropriation Bill, when he expressed his disappointment.
The PAC said, such a miserable behaviour by SIPA is indeed unacceptable and should not be tolerated by the sovereignty of this country.
“State Own Enterprise (SOE) has the obligation under the regulation to attend to PAC hearing,” he said. “This is not an invitation, rather a summon whether they like it or not, but should remember that under the SOE laws they must attend,” Hou added.
Hou further stated that this is an important process in the preparation of the government to venture into the next financial term, seeing that examination of budget commitment by public sectors and SOE has to be submitted before the PAC authority to scrutinized, evaluate and make recommendations.
Hou added this is a serious matter and this must not take lightly by the government as this is a breach of orders mandated under SIPA’s responsibility.
Moreover, PAC chairman stated that most sectors of the economy were covered by PAC and the reports now circulating to the Members of Parliament.
By AATAI JOHN
