Business Senator Questions Maria Rodriguez’s Credentials

Business Senator Kevin Herrera, a certified public accountant, joined the debate on Rodriguez’s appointment. He questioned whether Rodriguez had taken and passed the same exams he had to become qualified.

 

Kevin Herrera, Business Senator

“I studied accounting, I did the CPA and when you are practicing, there are certain criteria that you have to meet.  There are certain exams that you have to pass, and I see, in terms of the ad for the auditor general, these things listed but I am not sure if the current Ms. Rodriguez, I believe, Ms. Rodriguez.  I don’t know if we held, if we maintained that demand that the person who we’re selecting has those qualifications. Sometimes, perhaps the system is not designed to work because the accountant general is supposed to report to the financial secretary and the financial secretary reports to the Minister of Finance.  But who’s holding the accountant general accountable and keeping her on track with respect to the submission of these reports?  This is a direct function of the executive and they’ve failed and they’ve been failing since independence on it, and no one has corrected it.  There seems to be very little interest in this aspect of it, Madame President, and again we keep on with all the flurries and election is coming and everybody will be beating their chest about how many roads they are building, but nobody is checking about whether we’re getting value for money and how these things are being audited.  But everybody feels so proud.”