And Mr Arscott says an internal audit which found that nearly 1-billion dollars was not properly unaccounted for at the National Solid Waste Management Authority may NOT be of any significance.
The internal audit which was conducted by the NSWMA in April 2014, was made public by Nationwide News on March 19 this year.
Minister Arscott says he only became aware of the 1-year old audit report when it was broadcast by Nationwide News.
The Minister was addressing today’s Jamaica House media briefing.
He said the damning audit report may be speculative and redundant.
A member of the press corps told Minister Arscott that what he’s saying is unbelievable.
Permanent Secretary in the Local Government Ministry, Dionne Jennings intervened.
Mrs. Jennings said the Ministry’s internal team is conducting an additional audit of the NSWMA.
She says the internal audit team of the Ministry has been given a deadline of April 10 to submit their findings.
According to Mrs. Jennings, the audit being conducted by the Ministry will then be compared to the NSWMA’s internal audit report.
She sought to explain why the damning internal audit at the NSWMA did not come to the Ministry’s attention before it was made public this year by Nationwide News.
