The heated and public exchange of words, and pre-action protocol letters, between the Government and Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass, over the publication of the public accounts of T&T for the 2023 financial year, is unprecedented in this country's history.
On the one hand, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert states that a letter from a law firm representing Ms Ramdass contains “outrageous, false and defamatory accusations and allegations” over his involvement in the impasse. On the other hand, Ms Ramdass accuses the Government of attempting to "vilify and assassinate her personal and professional reputation" by attacks she considers to "false, malicious and misleading".
The vitriolic language used by both sides is unnecessary and the first requirement is that both sides cease and desist from such language.
Cooler heads must prevail in this matter and we call on Prime Minister to live up to his role as this country's elder statesman, as well as its leader, by requiring Mr Imbert and Attorney General Reginald Armour, the lead protagonists for the Government in this matter, to calm down and stop hurling insults at the person occupying the independent office of Auditor General.
Ms Ramdass also needs to be told that taking legal action against your employers is treacherous territory, and if one persists in doing so, one must also be prepared to deal with all possible outcomes.
What is required now, however, is a fact-finding inquiry to determine where the Government's reporting of its revenue fell short of the required standards and why it took so long for the apparent double-counting of tax refunds to be flagged.
In that regard, Mr Imbert's suggestion that the dispute needs a full independent investigation is the appropriate place to start.
As he stated in the Senate on Monday, the findings of this independent investigation "will be reported to the Public Service Commission and any other relevant office holder for their review and whatever action these independent institutions deem appropriate”.
The problem with independent investigations in this country, particularly those ordered by the State, is the perception of political interference, not to mention that they often take too long and are not always used as avenues for improving practices in the public service or holding those found negligent to account for their actions.
To quell the cynicism about yet another independent investigation, the Government needs to move quickly to identify the investigator, ensure that they are truly independent and provide a short deadline for the completion of the probe. This is not an overly complicated matter and clearly, public servants are anxious for the truth to be told.
But before, or perhaps in parallel with the independent inquiry, both the Government and the Auditor General need to be advised on the circumstances in which a client, in this case the Government, can submit correct information to an auditor after statutory deadlines have passed.
One suggestion is that the opinions of the country's top auditing firms could be sought to bring light to this issue that has so far attracted only heat.
Also, this country has many accountants who are members of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), which is the global body for professional accountants. Seeking an official advisory opinion from ACCA Global that both sides agree, beforehand, to accept, may be one way to end this bitter dispute.