Allegations Surface Regarding SIRF Fund Allocations: Public Calls for Transparency
Recent allegations have surfaced concerning the allocation of loans from the Sustainable Island Resource Framework (SIRF) Fund, administered by the Department of Environment (DOE).
These allegations have prompted a wave of public questions aimed at uncovering potential conflicts of interest and improper distribution of funds.
Did the Director receive a loan of $150,000 through the SIRF Fund?
Did the Director’s brother receive a loan of $200,000 through the SIRF Fund?
Did the Director’s sister receive a loan of $100,000 through the SIRF Fund?
Did the Director’s permanent secretary receive a loan of $75,000 through the SIRF Fund?
Did any other member of the Project Management Committee (PMC), besides the Permanent Secretary who chairs the PMC, receive a loan of $100,000 through the SIRF Fund?
Did the Director of Audit receive a loan of $50,000 through the SIRF Fund?
Did the Director’s housekeeper receive two loans totaling $98,327 and $40,000 through the SIRF Fund?
Were there other individuals who received more than one loan through the SIRF Fund?
Were there individuals who received loans without meeting the requirements based on the risk assessment criteria?
What did the evaluators discover and recommend regarding the allocation of SIRF Fund loans?
Who is the administrator, and who are the Board members of the SIRF Fund?
When was the last audit of the DOE and the SIRF Fund conducted by the Director of Audit?
Have there been any internal audits of the SIRF Fund? If so, when and by whom were they conducted?
Have there been any fraud investigations at the DOE concerning the SIRF Fund?
When will the financial statements, including financial position, cash flow, and income for the period ending December 31, 2023, be made available to the public?
In response to these allegations, the DOE has issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to confidentiality and privacy for all loan applicants.
According to the DOE, disclosing details about individual loans without consent would breach confidentiality agreements and could lead to legal repercussions.
The DOE clarified that the SIRF Fund loans are available to DOE management and staff, as well as other government agencies considered first responders.
This eligibility framework is established through an agreement between the Government and the Donor, with oversight provided by the SIRF Fund Board and operationalized by the DOE.
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The SIRF Fund is overseen by an Internal Auditor funded by donors, who reviews all loans before they are presented to the Board. Additionally, an external auditor (BDO) and several consultants advise the Board Chair and the Director.
The DOE stated that a stringent risk assessment tool is employed to ensure that all loan applicants meet financial, environmental, gender, and social risk criteria.
Applications are anonymized and evaluated by the SIRF Fund team before being reviewed by the Internal Auditor and presented to the Board.
Despite these measures, an internal audit identified a small percentage of applications (about 2%) that did not meet all necessary criteria. These cases were reported to the Board and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
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An external evaluation revealed concerns about value for money post-COVID-19, particularly regarding building supplies and renewable energy costs.
Evaluators recommended additional support for low-income applicants, which is being assessed for implementation in the next program phase. The evaluation report is publicly available on the DOE’s website.
The Fund is currently administered by Ms. Gwendolyn Carter-Joseph, following Ms. Carol Mason’s retirement. The Board members include Rasona Davis-Crump (Chair), Ms. Ena Henry (Deputy Chair), Diann Black-Layne (Director), Frederick Southwell, and Carolyn Charles-Tonge, with Mr. Whitfield Harris advising the Chair. Audits by BDO are current through 2021, with internal audits conducted by Keith Brown of ACM.
Unaudited financial statements for the period ending December 31, 2023, are available upon request. Interested parties can email the Chair, Rasona Davis-Crump, for access.
The DOE reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability while maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of loan recipients. They encouraged any further inquiries to be directed to the individuals who have received funding from the SIRF Fund.
The public eagerly awaits more detailed responses to these pressing questions to ensure that the SIRF Fund operates with integrity and fairness.
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