Third part of PAC report tomorrow on probe into Department of Lands

National, Normal

TOMORROW, The National will publish the third part of the Public Accounts Committee’s report into the Lands Department.
This report was completed in February 2006 and tabled in Parliament in August 2006.
While the report contains alarming instances of abuse of powers, systems and processes, including blatant disregard for the laws and recommendations for certain actions to be taken, we are unaware of any follow-up action having been taken by relevant Government agencies.
The Finance and Treasury Department, for instance, is supposed to issue a treasury minute reporting on the recommendations of the PAC and whether or not the department has acted on them, but to date no such minute has been issued.
As the PAC has not done any follow-up inquiries, it is uncertain whether any action has been taken on its report.
Certain companies and individuals are mentioned in the PAC report who might or might not be engaged in the same capacities in which they are mentioned in the report.
The National has undertaken to republish these reports to highlight the pathetic book-keeping practices of Government departments and the lack of transparency and accountability in them.
We have dutifully tried to mention errors and anomalies mentioned in systems and processes but in a few instances, some names are unavoidable as when a company has been granted a lease to a piece of land brought under the committee’s purview.
Tomorrow’s report will carry names of companies involved with lands at portions 109 and 110, Madang; section 111, lot 2 and 3, Boroko, and section 229, lot 69, Hohola.
Companies which have been named in the PAC report are invited to make comments before we republish the details.