MONROVIA, November 14 (LINA) -The Joint Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Legislature has announced the completion of public hearings on the accounts of three ministries and two state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

The institutions include the Ministries of Education, Justice and Gender and Development as well as the National Port Authority (NPA) and the Roberts International Airport (RIA).

PAC Chairman Senator Edward Dagoseh told a news conference Thursday that the hearings were intended to take decisions on the audit reports submitted to the National Legislature by the General Auditing Commission (GAC), the Liberia News Agency reports.

The GAC reports covered Fiscal Years 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2008/2009 and 2009/2010.

According to Dagoseh, the hearings brought to light issues ranging from procurement and administrative malpractices, fraudulent activities, non-functional internal audit systems and internal control lapses by senior officials of government and SOEs.

He said PAC has completed its initial analysis of the reports and made specific recommendations, including restitutions, putting in place effective audit systems at affected ministries and other state-owned enterprises and the approval of budgets of SOEs along with the National Budget of government.

Dagoseh disclosed that the reports have already been endorsed by the National Legislature and sent to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for action.              

LINA