It is of some significance, we believe, that Auditor General Adrian Strachan's searing critique of the Ministry of Finance's disregard of its own and the Government's accounting guidelines has been met with general indifference. Non-compliance with and the deliberate bypassing of procedures have become so institutionalised that systemic corruption is actually encouraged.

Mr. Strachan has been serving as Auditor General since 1978 and before that as Deputy Auditor General for seven years. He is a career civil servant and not given to making frivolous statements. Any charge of self-promotion cannot be easily applied to him. It is this seasoned and senior public servant, in an interview with The Gleaner published last Friday, who has spoken of his and his staff's being frustrated as "year after year they spend time researching these things and coming up with breaches and then nothing happens to correct them".

The Auditor General has noted, as he has done for many years, that he is often unable to verify the authenticity of statements submitted because of the absence of vouchers and supporting invoices. This, along with regular bypassing of established policies for the granting of approvals for contracts, cannot be seen as simple mistakes or minor procedural errors. These "errors" cost the taxpayers millions of dollars each year. Beyond that, the cronyism that is endemic in the awarding of contracts points not to inadequate fiduciary oversight but often to a deliberate raiding of the public coffers for the benefit of a select few. In other jurisdictions where people seemingly have a greater appreciation of the rule of law, this kind of behaviour is called thievery and persons deemed responsible are held accountable. Not so in Jamaica. The Government ignores the reports and carries on merrily, and the wider society accepts it by its silence. And then various government ministers dare to speak about a commitment to good governance and to stamping out corruption. This is mere lip service.

While we concede that not everything can be cleaned up overnight, there should be some sign that clear steps have been and are being taken to address the breaches. Instead, more often than not attempts are made to impugn the integrity of public servants who are carrying out their jobs conscientiously.

The Ministry of Finance has specifically denied granting retroactive approval for breaches of applicable laws but it has not given as full a statement as it should, on other aspects of Mr. Strachan's charges. This is not good enough. The Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, needs to address the issue clearly. Indeed, the Prime Minister, Mrs. Simpson Miller, would do the country some service were she to turn her attention to this aspect of governance instead of wasting time making vacuous statements on the election campaign trail.

When one considers that the same general indifference is shown to the annual reports and expressions of concern from the Contractor General, then there is good reason to conclude that there is no commitment to the principles of good governance. Mr. Strachan has identified the consistent failure on the part of the Government to clean up its own house. This situation should not be allowed to continue. Civil society must bring pressure to bear on the Government to follow its own guidelines. The country is paying too high a price for governmental slackness.