Auditor General review targets NWC's $44.92b capital works programme

A performance audit examining the National Water Commission's stewardship of a $44-billion capital programme is expected to be laid in Parliament today, putting fresh scrutiny on spending meant to maintain and upgrade the utility's infrastructure over four years.

The Auditor General's Department sent the report to Gordon House on June 2. However, it was not presented that day, nor was it brought before the Lower House at its next sitting.

The Gleaner said it submitted questions on Friday to Colleen Lowe, clerk to the Houses of Parliament, seeking, among other details, an explanation for why the document had not yet been tabled. No answer had been received up to publication time.

In keeping with a practice it has followed for some time, the Auditor General's Department posts brief notices on its website identifying completed audits and stating when they have been forwarded to Parliament.

According to the department, the NWC set aside $44.92 billion for capital expenditure between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 financial years to help preserve and improve its systems.

The Auditor General's Department said the review was done to determine how efficiently and effectively the NWC managed capital projects, and whether that management was consistent with the commission's budget and strategic priorities.

In outlining the reason for the audit, the department noted that the NWC is responsible for delivering potable water and wastewater services to the public. It said that responsibility is in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6, which calls for clean water and sanitation to be available universally and fairly.

The NWC's strategic plan for the 2020-21 to 2024-25 financial years states that about 70 per cent of the agency's infrastructure is more than 40 years old, a condition that has raised questions about its capacity to provide dependable service on a sustained basis.

To carry out its mandate while responding to those pressures, the department said the NWC commits major resources to capital works intended to repair, modernise and extend its potable water and wastewater networks.

Parliament is also expected to receive three Integrity Commission investigation reports, together with indicative rulings from the Director of Corruption Prosecution.

Those reports were sent to Parliament last Wednesday and were received and signed for by staff at Gordon House.