Ministry of Finance & Planning

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The Executive Agencies monitoring unit of the Public Expenditure Policy Division in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, will be hosting a corporate governance symposium on February 15.

The symposium will be held at the Jamaica Conference Centre under the theme: 'Facilitating the Way Forward'.

Speaking with JIS News, Owen McKnight, Head of the unit explained that the event is being organized because of the emerging trends in the world and because of Jamaica's rating on Transparency International's list.

"What we have seen happening, for example in Liberia and in South Africa where the former Deputy President has been removed and also current happenings in Trinidad, we find that it is important to sensitize our personnel, especially those in Executive Agencies," he noted.

The target group for the symposium includes Chief Executive Officers, Chief Internal Auditors, Chairpersons and members of audit committees as well as Directors of Finance in Executive Agencies.

"Based on the recent Auditor General's report, participants need to be made more aware of their responsibilities to the citizens of Jamaica. They will benefit greatly as well from increased consciousness because often it is said that if there was not so much waste in the public sector, then government would not need to borrow as much," emphasized Mr. McKnight.

"We just want to bring it home to them.their responsibilities to give citizens value for money," he added.

Among the line-up of speakers to address the symposium are, State Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Fitz Jackson; Financial Secretary, Colin Bullock; Technical Advisor on Corporate Governance, Vindel Kerr; Chairman of the Audit Commission, Leighton McKnight; and Deputy Financial Secretary of the Public Enterprise Division, Ann-Marie Rhoden.

"The speakers will cover topics such as the role of corporate governance in ensuring the three Es - Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness - the responsibility of the Government sector in facilitating the way forward; and accountability, probity and transparency - principles and practices," Mr. McKnight told JIS News.

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