Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee Review of the Report of the Auditor General on the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, section 4, Capital Allocation Process.
Careful analysis of the costs and benefits of the existing Capital Allocation Process is key to informed and responsive needs management. It is vital that the relevance and cost of proposed capital projects to the GNWT and the municipality are accurately assessed. It is equally important that the evaluation and allocation process is independent of the bureaucracy that has access to it.
Although movement toward a more efficient allocation process will hopefully be underway, committee Members stress the severe resource constraints and the public demands for greater accountability in the allocation process. However, the committee observes that there may be a lack of commitment to a more responsive and accountable Capital Allocation Process at the bureaucratic level. In the committee's view, a culture of effective responsiveness and accountability is not in place.
Part of the dissatisfaction stems from the poor timing of the call letter from the Premier's office for revisions to the capital plan. By the time the letter is received and replied to, there is not enough time to affect the recommended revisions. With the short construction season and limited transportation infrastructure, it becomes impossible to procure and transport material to the municipality. In many communities, barging is the only economically viable means of transporting cargo. Cargo must be prebooked, has a limited travel schedule and is operated only in late spring and summer.
In the committee's review, there has not been enough attention to the quality and timeliness of information and the need for objectivity and independence in the implementation of the Capital Allocation Process. At times, the political component dominates. The process needs to better serve the municipalities' requirements.
At this time, Mr. Chairman, I have a motion.