Minister of Finance names Public Accounts Committee

PM in National Assembly

ST. KITTS, APRIL 8TH 2010 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, M.P. (Labour – St. Christopher 6), has announced the appointment of a Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly.

Submitting a resolution in the law making body following the conclusion of the recent debate on the 2010 Budget, Prime Minister Douglas named Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Mark Brantley, M.P. (CCM – Nevis 9); Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, M.P. (Labour – St. Christopher 7); Hon. Patrice Nisbett, M.P (NRP – Nevis 11); Hon. Shawn Richards, M.P. (PAM – St. Christopher 5) and Sen. the Hon. Nigel Carty, M.P., to be members of the Public Accounts Committee.

It is the practice that the Leader of the Opposition serves as the Chairman of this Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

The duties and powers of the Public Accounts Committee, drawn from both sides of the lawmaking body are to ascertain that the authorised expenditure during each financial year including supplementary expenditure has been applied to the purposes prescribed by the National Assembly; scrutinise the causes which may have led to any excess over authorised expenditure and to verify applications of savings on other authorised items of expenditure; make an effective examination of public accounts kept in any Department of Government and summon any public officer to give any information or any explanation or to produce any records or documents which the Committee considers necessary in the performance of its duties.