The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

THE Opposition, noting its majority membership on the Public Accounts Committee, said it will request “full disclosure” of what a previously borrowed $550 million was spent on, and also what a request for another $100 million is to be spent on.

Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, Opposition Leader Hubert Minnis criticised government’s announcement that the $100 million is needed to cover financial commitments left by the Ingraham administration. He accused the government of trying to divert attention away from the “inadequacies and failings” in their mid-year budget by blaming the FNM.

“In (the prime minister’s) presentation last week, he repeatedly and conveniently mentioned that his government had ‘inherited a very difficult fiscal situation which featured significant cost overruns and carry-over spending’,” Dr Minnis said.

“For a man who has been intricately involved in all aspects and facets of government and frontline politics for almost 40 years, our Prime Minister should be well aware that because government is continuous and accounts come in for payments, post administration changes, there will always be cost overruns and carry-over expenses that an incoming administration will have to deal with.

“This is not unusual; nor is this abnormal. And unless at this stage in life Mr. Christie’s memory is failing him, I am sure he would be aware of the cost overruns and carry-over expenses that he left behind when he was thrown out of office in 2007.”

It is “somewhat harmful” for the government to suggest that its “failure to deliver” has been inhibited by inherited cost overruns and the “need to borrow” $100 million is tied to meeting carry-over expenses from the prior government, Dr Minnis said.

He explained that government sectors would be aware of expenses and thus allocate the necessary money.

It would be “beyond prudence or good reason” for the Education Ministry to not include provisions in their budgets to meet its $10.86 million labour contract obligation to teachers as contained in its agreement with the Bahamas Union of Teachers, he said

And it would be “far-fetched” to think the Finance Ministry, and other government sectors responsible for providing a “supposed $23 million” in salaries for participants of the 52-week job programme, had not made provisions either, he continued.

“Therefore, what I would like to know is why this government would find it necessary to be so bold-facedly deceitful and deceptive,” Dr Minnis said. “What are their real intentions for this money? On top of the $550 million they borrowed when they came to office to cover supposed fiscal deficits and other obligations, why would they need to turn around - and without full public disclosure of how they spend the first $550 million of the people’s money – still need to borrow another $100 million, particularly when the obligations they claim they need the funding for – were outstanding and coming due when they prepared their 2012/2013 Budget? It just doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense.

“This one thing is clear though, in trying to cast aspersions on the past administration, the prime minister actually revealed two things to this House and to the Bahamian people. One, either they did something inappropriate with the original monies allocated in the 2012/2013 Budget to meet these obligations – and thus the need to borrow and replenish what has perhaps been squandered; or two, they irresponsibly did not make provisions to cover these obligations which were coming due at all – and thus the need to borrow money to cover up their incompetence. With this government, either one, both, or any number of things can be true.

“But whichever it is, this House and the Bahamian people need a full explanation, and as the Opposition has the majority membership on the Public Accounts Committee, I will write the Ministry of Finance and request the necessary information so that we can have full disclosure on this matter. It is my hope that the Ministry of Finance will cooperate with us on this inquiry, as per their obligation to the body.”