By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

AUDITOR General Terrance Bastian says his office is in the beginning steps of looking into the former Minnis administration’s pandemic spending, particularly the food programme.

He stressed that during an Office of the Prime Minister’s press briefing Friday that it was a “must” to probe government expenditure at the height of the virus outbreak.

Last month, Financial Secretary Simon Wilson said finance experts had been challenged in gleaning the necessary information to determine a true picture of the former Minnis administration’s COVID-19 emergency spending.

However, Mr Bastian noted in response to a question from The Tribune during the briefing that his office has already started to gather files in relation to the issue.

“Yeah, that’s a must,” he said when asked if there were plans to look into pandemic spending.

"We are looking at it as I stand here. We’ve been requesting information from the beginning such as we have some files in office now that we would’ve requested on the food programme.

“So, we are checking into it and it’s our duty to make sure we know exactly how the money is spent so we are looking at that, some of that.”

Asked if there was anything in particular that was a concern, he said: “No, I don’t have anything to report now if it’s a particular concern we just want to make sure that everything is OK.”

Mr Bastian also spoke about compliance with his office by ministries, saying it had improved.

However, he said people should be held accountable in instances where it is found that rules were not followed.

“I think there is a word that’s called accountability,” Mr Bastian said. “A part of the role of the auditor general is to ensure that we get good governance and it’s going to trickle down where I get to accountability.

“Good governance means that there must be transparency and accountability. Accountability would mean that if someone is responsible for doing something they’re commended and if they’re responsible for doing something that they should not do they get what they need to get.

“I think when we make people accountable, I think we get more results so accountability, in other words, if there is a penalty the penalty can be enforced.”

As far as penalties are concerned, he said, the Office of the Auditor General can only make recommendations.

Additionally, he said several entities were in the final stages of audits including civil aviation, the port department, Met office, Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and some others.

An audit of the Bahamas Customs Department was expected to be completed Friday.