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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
The Office of the Auditor General in Grand Bahama officially opened their new offices in the Siboney Commercial Centre (Sav Mor Building) on Friday, January 16. Shown are Auditor General, Mr. Terrance Bastian and Mrs. Portia Barnet, Deputy Auditor General during the ceremony. (BIS Photo: Vandyke Hepburn)
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FREEPORT, Grand Bahama - The Office of the Auditor General in Grand Bahama officially opening their new offices in the Siboney Commercial Centre on Friday afternoon with a brief ceremony.
Starting out on April 16, 1966 in a trailer shared with the Customs Department in what is now known as the Tree Root Plaza, the Department has had several homes over the years. With the opening of their new offices, and the addition of nine staff members, the team proudly displayed their new residence to their invited guests.
The Auditor General, Mr. Terrance Bastian, said unlike other Departments of Government, the Office of the Auditor General has no Minister and no Permanent Secretary. He said there were no funds, but there was necessity for new facilities and more staff on contract.
Team spirit, he said, is very important and all of the staff in the Grand Bahama office need to be on board in order to get the job done. He said he was pleased with the staff, and challenged them to know the job better than he does. "I want to be able to give you something to do and not have to worry about it", said Mr. Bastian. If everyone does their job and does it well, they will be closer to where they want to be.
Mr. Bastian also noted that he would like to reduce the amount of paperwork, and eventually work towards being a paperless environment.
Mrs. Portia Barnet, Deputy Auditor General in the Office of the Auditor General in Nassau, said the move to the new premises is a start of new beginnings. When they hired the new staff, she said, they were looking for people who were committed to their jobs.
There was also the work study programme which gave people the opportunity to see if they wanted to make a career choice in auditing. She added that she wished they had the programme when she started, as she did not know what auditing was but it was something that grew on her.
"We are growing and getting better each day," Mrs. Barnet told the staff.
Turning her attention to the invited guests, she added that they (the Auditor General’s Office) were their friends. "We are here to make you look good." When the books in the various government departments look good, then the government looks good and in turn the country looks good.
Archdeacon Harry Bain performed the blessing of the office.
Other members of the delegation on hand from the Nassau office were: Cleopatra Woodes-Rolle, Rochelle Major, Veronica Rahming, Levenia King, Sherry Thurston, Patrice Ferguson and Thelma Young.
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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