The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Davis administration was unable to provide implementation timelines for three major anti-corruption and transparency watchdogs amid continued questions over whether it has provided sufficient funding.

were also raised over whether current funding levels are sufficient to support the Ombudsman's Office, Freedom of Information and the Independent Commission of Investigations.

Opposition MPs used the debate on the 2026-2027 Budget to press ministers on the status of the Ombudsman's Office, Freedom of Information Act commissoner and the Independent Commission of Investigations - long-promised oversight bodies - as they sought details on funding, staffing and implementation schedules.

Questions first arose over the Ombudsman's Office, which is intended to provide citizens with an independent avenue for seeking redress when they believe they have been treated unfairly by public authorities.

Opposition Leader, Michael Pintard, said the Budget allocation for the office has seen little change despite repeated commitments to bring the institution fully into operation.

"There has been no significant change from last year to this year regarding the Ombudsman's Office, despite the fact that we have agreed to bring that office into full force," said Mr Pintard. "I wanted to know what the total projected Budget would be if the office were fully operational, and why that amount has not been allocated."

Prime Minister Philip Davis KC responded that $40,000 has been allocated, and said the office is expected to be staffed using existing public servants rather than new hires. "It is intended that the office be populated by existing public servants, and that exercise is now being undertaken by the Attorney General," he said.

However, Mr Davis also acknowledged that no comprehensive budget has yet been established. "No overall budget has been established, but it is intended that the Ombudsman's Office will be supported by personnel allocations that already exist within the public service," he said.

When Mr Pintard later asked for a timetable for the office's full establishment, the Prime Minister said the relevant information rested with the Attorney General's Office and indicated he would provide an answer later.

Questions also focused on the government's plans for the Freedom of Information Act. Long Island MP, Andre Rollins, asked ministers to explain a $140,000 line allocation, which Michael Halkitis, minister of finance, said was intended to support Freedom of Information operations.

Asked whether the allocation was sufficient to fully implement the objectives of the Freedom of Information framework, Mr Halkitis replied: "Yes, we do." He later clarified that the allocation covered operational expenses and did not include salaries.

"Operational expenses. It does not include salaries and related costs," Mr Halkitis said. Mr Rollins also questioned whether the office had previously been allocated more than $1m, but Mr Halkitis pointed to previous Budget documents showing allocations rising from $92,400 in 2024 to $140,000 this year.

The issue resurfaced when East Grand Bahama MP, Kwasi Thompson, asked when the Freedom of Information Act and Independent Commission of Investigations would be fully implemented.

"Can you confirm the full implementation date for the Freedom of Information Act, as well as the full implementation date for the Independent Commission of Investigations?" Mr Thompson asked.

Mr Davis declined to provide dates. "The answer is no different than before," he said.

"The implementation and full operation of those entities are matters within the knowledge of the Office of the Attorney General, and you can obtain that information through that department."

The funding levels and pace of implementation have also drawn criticism from the Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG).

In its analysis of the 2026-2027 Budget, ORG said the Ombudsman allocation of approximately $40,000 appeared insufficient to support meaningful operational capacity, investigations, public awareness efforts or citizen access.

Regarding Freedom of Information, ORG described the $140,000 allocation as "wholly inadequate" for full implementation and noted that the same amount is projected through the forward estimates period.

The organisation said previous government implementation plans contemplated a significantly more robust system, including a fully operational Information Commissioner's Office, deputy commissioners, trained information officers throughout government, public education campaigns, technology systems and records-management improvements.

ORG said its earlier review of the implementation framework estimated that approximately $1m annually would be required for meaningful implementation. "The concern is not simply the amount allocated," the organisation said. "It is the absence of a visible implementation road map."

ORG also noted that the Independent Commission of Investigations will receive an increase from approximately $30,000 to $100,000, but argued that the allocation remains modest and lacks a clear growth path demonstrating how the institution will build the capacity envisioned by Parliament.