A damning revelation from Jamaica’s Auditor General has uncovered severe financial governance failures at the National Land Agency (NLA), where basic accounting safeguards were neglected for nearly eight years. The 2024/25 Annual Report from Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis details how the agency responsible for managing Jamaica’s land administration system failed to perform regular bank account reconciliations, creating conditions where errors and potential fraud could remain undetected for years.
The audit examination of the NLA’s 2011/2012 financial statements uncovered that reconciliation statements for five bank accounts were delayed by up to 92 months, with three statements completely undated, preventing verification of management review or approval. This critical lapse violated Section 8.7.1 (vi) of the Government’s Financial Instructions, which mandates monthly reconciliations to ensure cash balances match bank records.
Beyond reconciliation failures, the investigation identified significant weaknesses in physical asset tracking. While the NLA maintained a master inventory valuing assets at $93.4 million, the system failed to incorporate additional acquisitions worth $10.6 million during the review period. This omission breached the Government’s Comprehensive Asset Management Policy, creating vulnerability to loss, theft, or misappropriation of public property.
The NLA, which holds central responsibility for land titles, surveys, valuation services, and geographic data supporting Jamaica’s property ownership system, now faces heightened scrutiny over its financial controls. These deficiencies potentially undermine public accountability and confidence in the management of government assets.
In response to the findings, the Auditor General recommended immediate strengthening of internal controls and full compliance with financial regulations. The NLA has indicated plans to address identified issues through process automation targeted for March 2027, though auditors caution that existing obstacles including unresolved reconciling items must first be resolved for successful implementation.