On June 17, 2020, Cabinet approved the adoption of a whistleblowing framework, that is, the Reporting Concerns Guidance that was developed by the Office of the Auditor General for individuals or organizations to report any concerns or irregularities relating to COVID-19 Relief Fund, a release from the office said.
This Guidance is applicable to all public servants or anyone who wishes to draw concerns to the Audit Office’s attention.
The guidance highlights
– the sort of concerns that should be reported
– process for reporting serious wrongdoing
– protections for reporting concerns
– responsibilities of those reporting
– information to be supplied when disclosing
The main focus is on any concerns around maladministration or fraud rather than on personal disagreements or public service disciplinary and performance issues. Additionally, this mechanism is not for the Audit Office to review the Government of Montserrat’s COVID-19 Relief Fund Policy.
Anyone who is concerned about a particular issue relating to the COVDI-19 Relief Fund and has detail information is encouraged to contact the Reporting Concerns Unit within the Office of the Auditor General by emailing covidreportunit@gmail.com or by calling 664 491 3460.
Download the Reporting Concerns Guidance – COVID-19 June 2020
A copy of the Guidance can be found on the Office of the Auditor General web page at http://audit.gov.ms or by requesting an electronic copy from the Office of the Auditor General.
