In response to claims that the Guyana Teachers’ Union lacks financial accountability, President Mark Lyte has stated that the Union’s records are audited by a private auditing firm.
According to the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority, the GTU has not filed its annual returns in twenty years, with the last submission for the year 2004 was filed in 2005.
This risks the Union being removed from the Trade Unions Act and incurs fines for the Union and its officers.
Additionally, the Office of the Auditor General has reported that the last GTU Financial Statement was submitted in 1989, and no other was submitted since. According to the Audit Office, approximately $2 billion that was collected by GTU from teachers has been unaccounted for.
On Monday, the GTU President told reporters that these claims were made in attempts to stifle the Union’s work. He further stated that all of the Union’s financial records are audited by a private auditing firm and the reports are offered at council meetings and conferences.