MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Problematic” accounting practices in 37% of Cuban state companies audited

Ms Berejanos called for an end to opportunism and corruption

“Deficient” or “problematic” accounting practices have been exposed in 37% of Cuban government companies according to the latest report from the Comptroller General, Gladys Bejerano.

“Of the 750 state companies audited in April and May we have found deficient or problematic accounting practices in 37% of them”, said Ms Bejeranos in an interview with the official weekly Trabajadores.

“The good news is that the remainder had satisfactory or better assessments”, added the comptroller who in a positive note said “this compares favorably with the problematic 40% of the 2010 audit”.

However the number of ‘deficient’ or ‘problematic’ state companies in the capital Havana soared from 59 to 132 between the two audits.

This was the sixth round of audits in recent years, including two in 2010.

Among the problems detected in the audits in late 2010 were inventory and organization deficiencies, missing bills for money collected and paid, as well as an overall incorrect handling of funds.

Ms Bejeranos said that the below-satisfactory institutions must go through a “rectification process”.

Under the package of economic reforms announced during the Cuban Communist Party Congress in April, loss-making state companies will have to shape up or shut down.

In the Trabajadores interview, Bejerano urged for “more responsibility” from managers and workers, to improve efficiency.

“The Comptroller General's office asks those who have the complex task of directing and administrating to eradicate, once and for all, the conditions that lead to opportunism, temptation, delinquency and corruption” Trabajadores quoted Ms Bejeranos.

Often, administrators want to “produce and meet targets at all costs” she said and irregularities were found at some companies that had recently won awards for their production.

”It's true that producing is important to advance the country's development. But it must be done keeping to accounting rules, respecting quality and good results”, concluded the comptroller.