Following the flow - NWC faces audit spotlight as report set for tabling in Parliament 

Parliament is expected today to table a critical performance audit report on how the National Water Commission (NWC) managed a $44-billion capital budget over a four-year period to support the maintenance and improvement of its infrastructure.

The audit report was dispatched by the Auditor General’s Department (AuGD) to Gordon House on June 2, but was not tabled on the day in question nor the following day when the Lower House held its sitting.

The Gleaner sent questions to the clerk to the Houses of Parliament, Colleen Lowe, on Friday to, among other things, ascertain why the report was not tabled, but up to the time of this publication no response had been received.

As has become the practice for some time now, the AuGD uploads on its website a synopsis of the type of audit that has been completed and the date it was sent to Parliament.

The AuGD states that between financial years 2019-20 and 2023-24, the NWC budgeted $44.92 billion in capital expenditure to support the maintenance and improvement of its infrastructure.

The department said it conducted an audit to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the NWC’s management of capital projects and to assess alignment with the organisation’s budget and strategic objectives.

Giving a background to the audit, the AuGD says the NWC is mandated to provide potable water and wastewater services to the public. This mandate, according to the AuGD, aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 6, which promotes universal and equitable access to clean water and sanitation services.

According to the NWC’s strategic plan for financial years 2020-21 to 2024-25, approximately 70 per cent of the commission’s infrastructure is over 40 years old, raising concerns about its ability to consistently deliver reliable services.

To fulfil its mandate and address these challenges, the AuGD says the NWC deploys significant resources to undertake capital projects aimed at rehabilitating and expanding its potable water and wastewater systems.

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

The reports were dispatched to Parliament last Wednesday and were received and signed for by the staff at Gordon House.

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