Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to inform the House that the financial statements for Financial Year January 2015 to December 2015, were tabled at the National Assembly on 24 November 2024. Regarding the financial statements for Financial Year 2016-2017, the statements have been audited and finalised recently by the National Audit Office, same has been transmitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly last week for tabling. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I stated in my reply to PQ B/66 earlier this year, instructions were given to the National Transport Corporation to expedite finalisation of pending accounts and the new Board of the NTC was entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that all accounts be finalised and audited as a matter of priority. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am informed that necessary actions were taken by the Board of the NTC, and subsequently, the final statements for the remaining years, that is, 2018 to 2024, have already been prepared and submitted to the National Audit Office for auditing. I am further informed that the accounts for the Financial Years 2017-2018 and 2018- 2019 are currently being audited by the National Audit Office and the auditing of the accounts for the remaining financial years 2019 to 2024 will follow. The audited financial statements will thereafter be tabled to this august Assembly after completion of the exercise.

76 Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, regarding the financial situation of the NTC, I have to inform the House that the last three reports audited by the National Audit Office were all provided with a qualified opinion, meaning that the completeness and accuracy of the information submitted by the NTC could not be ascertained by the National Audit Office, inter-alia, regarding the inventories, the cash and cash equivalents, the property, the plant and equipment, and the trade and other payables. I invite the hon. Members to consult the financial statements tabled so far, should they require additional information. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is a matter of great concern that the NTC has been cumulating deficits year on year since 2015 to reach a staggering sum of Rs1.2 to Rs3 billion in June 2024. I can list the breakdown but you will surely stop me, but let me just mention the last three or four figures where they are the highest – • June 2021 – Rs199 million; • June 2022 – Rs150 million; • June 2023 – Rs184 million; • June 2024 – Rs209 million. And these are not audited figures; these are from management accounts; they could be more. These figures definitely speak for themselves on the state of the affairs of the corporation which have been persistent over the last ten years due to various reasons including a poor management and a lack of appropriate strategies. It is against this backdrop that the new board of the NTC, under the Chairmanship of Nishad Baig held, I am informed, the very first strategic meeting on Saturday 19 April 2025 with senior management people and board members of the NTC to strategically reflect on cost efficiency measures. Thank you.

One more question!

Je vous remercie. M. le président, devant une telle dérive financière, je ne peux mais taire. Est-ce que le ministre pourrait indiquer à la Chambre quelle action concrète son ministère prévoit-il face à ce déficit de R 1 milliards à la NTC, devenu clairement insoutenable ? Merci.

Basically, cost-cutting measures. I had to mention the figures of the last four years because it is during those four years specifically that fake spare parts

77 were bought at very high prices and were made to be passed for genuine spare parts and costed hundreds and millions of rupees to the NTC. So, when you deal with fake spare parts, it means that you have to change again because the quality is not the same. So, cost-cutting measures and even for tyres –I had mentioned before – they were buying tyres that lasted only 4000 km. Can you imagine? So, the FCC is currently enquiring on this. I hope light will be shed sometime soon so that those responsible for this very sorrow state of affairs be made answerable to the people of this country.

Hon. First Member for Savanne and Black River! PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLE (TAXI) LICENCE – APPLICATION – CRITERIA & PROCEDURES