The Sugar Industry Tribunal is struggling to carry out its operations under their current budget.
Presenting the annual reports for 2021 to 2022 before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Tribunal Commissioner Timothy Brown said budget submissions for new IT systems and new fixed assets have fallen on deaf ears.
“Every time we put in a budget for a fixed asset like right now, we put in a budget for IT, we are told you can just link with FSC,” he said.
“The tribunal has a duty under the Act to ensure its register is correct, and its register is kept with the FSC IT, and when we recently asked the date leases will expire, 12,000 of those leases were not there.
“We are asking our ministry to give us a budget for this, but it is really difficult.”
Mr Brown said acquiring assets such as vehicles, tables and chairs were also a huge challenge.
“We are trying to change an old vehicle we can’t. We are trying to change tables and chairs but we can’t. Even to get a laptop we have to use our operating grant.
“I am sharing this because it has been really frustrating for us.”
Mr Brown said that recently, they were asked by the Auditor-General’s Office why their budget had been reduced.
“We are saying ask the people who are deciding the budget.
“We put in our budget, but they reduced it from $450,000 to $350,000.”
