Authority optimistic about positive results

By CLARISSA MOI
Mineral Resources Authority is confident it will be in a better position to deliver its programmes effectively next year, given the financial experiences it had this year.
Acting managing director Nathan Mosusu said implementation of the Public Money Management Regulation Act (PMMRA) 2017 early this year was a huge challenge for them as they were caught off guard on its timing.
He said implementation of the PMMRA also came in at a time when the organisation was seeing the exit of its former managing-director.
“It was actually double challenge, surviving without a leader and also with your financial autonomy removed from you,” Mosusu said.
“The biggest impediment the management had was the uncertainty in getting access to funding.
“We were never certain as to when funds would be released.
“Therefore, we could not effectively stick to the schedules we had planned for the year.”
Mosusu said despite that, MRA had been able to perform quite well during the year and implemented most of its programmes, despite being delayed, and also streamlined on a few non-essential areas.
“The positive result has mostly been due to the constant discussions and follow-ups we have had between us and the PMMR technical secretariat at the Department of Finance,” he said. Mosusu said they were now certain that the PMMRA would still be in place for 2019, and would ensure that their budget plan for 2019 was brought to the attention of the PMMR technical secretariat as early as possible.
“This is so that we can commence the discussions around areas we need improvement on, as early as possible,” he said.
“In terms of project implementation, the hardest-impacted area was in the implementation of the memorandum-of-agreement projects.
“I am also confident that the MRA has been able to demonstrate to the Department of Finance that we are a financially-compliant organisation.
“We conduct our business according to the Public Financial Management Act, the PMMRA and all other associated finance policies installed by Government.”
Mosusu said delivery projects like the Tolukuma road project had to be delayed as contractors could not be paid.
This was because access to funds could not be immediately given by the Department of Finance.
“However, we have just begun sorting these out now that the department has allowed us access to some of these funds,” Mosusu said.
“Implementation of memorandums-of-understanding had to be delayed.
“A handful of these programmes may now have to be put off until next year.”