By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
THE FNM yesterday criticised the government over what the party described as “wasteful expenditure” of its travel allocations as outlined in the mid-year budget.
According to Opposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, Prime Minister Perry Christie spent 86 per cent of the funds for officials travel after an additional $170,000 was added to the item.
He said Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell has also used more than half of his budget after he too was advanced $45,000 more for travel.
Dr Minnis said: “This government has found it impossible to expend monies allocated and budgeted for the poor at a time when they are overspending on overseas travel and entertainment.
“I demand that the Prime Minister keep his public pledge to provide an accounting for his extravagant international travel during which he treated an excessively large delegation to a tour of Rome and London. He promised to do so and to date he has neglected to do so. I call upon him to do so now. The people wait.”
Back in December, the government came under immense criticism after a large delegation accompanied Mr Christie on a visit to Sri Lanka with stops in London and Rome.
The backlash led the Prime Minister to explain in the House of Assembly what his trip entailed as questions of the cost were launched. However, the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on that trip were never revealed.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Hubert Chipman later vowed that the matter would be investigated once financial records are available. But the public has yet to receive word of any probe.
Mr Christie has described the trip as an “important series of interfaces” which were prudent and necessary for the Bahamas to assert regional leadership.
During a stop in London, Mr Christie spoke with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency to examine proposed projects and technical assistance for the country.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 9 months ago
Agree with this 100%. I think we the Bahamian people are funding Fred's dream of travelling around the world. Seriously, too much travel....
realfreethinker 10 years, 9 months ago
These guys just dont care. They make no attempt to cut cost,while demanding the same of us. CRAZY
pat242 10 years, 9 months ago
The FNM wasted just as much as the PLP. No one is better than the other.
TheMadHatter 10 years, 9 months ago
Dr. Minnis - maybe if your God Ingraham, while he was in power - had enacted Law to give the "Shadow Minister of Finance" actual authority to obtain government financial information from the ruling party - THEN you and your people would be able to get actual travel expense information for what has taken place.
As it is, you have NO AUTHORITY to obtain information about actual spending - and so you are just a beggar like the rest of us - JUST LIKE your Party had the opposition PLP as beggars while you guys were in power.
Maybe next time you will think about enacting FAIR LAWS so that there can be a real Opposition in this country. Since you did not, then suck it up and take it like a man.
TheMadHatter
killemwitdakno 10 years, 9 months ago
It was equal spending. At least we can see , use , and forever make money off of fnm's spending. If fnm needed to borrow when they got in then might as well borrow enough to assist our survival for the next five years of hell granted plumage already occurred without reason and without results. Obama did the same thing during The Great Recession and now the US is not bordering depression. But these guys shit is always missing.
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 9 months ago
Yeah FNM aint perfect but they are not as bad as these guys. And after the last two years NO ONE WILL EVER CONVINCE ME THE PLP AND FNM ARE THE SAME. Hell no. PLP are bad at everything, completely incapable and utterly inept. PLP is an embarrassment to us period....
skykscraper 10 years, 9 months ago
WASTEUL? TRY $100 MILLION DOLLARS OVER BUDGET ROADS PROJECT!
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