The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Christie administration has allocated $21m in the upcoming fiscal year for the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute in North Andros, according to 2015/2016 budget draft estimates.

According to the document, the Ministry of Works has allocated $14m for capital development at BAMSI while the Ministry of Agriculture has set aside $7m in recurrent expenditure for the facility.

The government has been criticised for not being transparent with the public concerning the project in the past. The House of Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee plans to investigate BAMSI to determine if there were any protocol breaches in the issuance of contracts.

It is unclear if funding to reconstruct the male dormitory that was destroyed by fire early this year is included in the $14 million allocation. When asked about this, State Minister for Finance Michael Halkitis said the $14 million is for general BAMSI funding, adding that the Ministry of Works will apportion the money.

Nearly five months after an arson attack destroyed the BAMSI dormitory, officials have yet to reveal reconstruction details.

When asked last month about funding plans to rebuild the dorm, State Minister for Works and Urban Development Arnold Forbes said: “That is something the prime minister will have to answer.”

After weeks of uncertainty, Minister of Works Philip “Brave” Davis revealed in February that the dormitory, which was constructed by contractor Audley Hanna of Paradigm Construction, was never insured.

He had previously told the House of Assembly that at the time of the fire, the contractor’s all-risk insurance policy had lapsed due to non-payment.

This prompted FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis to urge the PAC to investigate contracts relating to the project.

Following contradictory statements from government officials, questions have also been raised in the past on how much money has already been spent on BAMSI.

In October, Prime Minister Perry Christie said no more than $23 million had been spent on the project, contradicting a statement Agriculture Minister V Alfred Gray made in September that the government doled out $50 million on BAMSI.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, PAC Chairman Hubert Chipman said he is still waiting for BAMSI documents to be presented to the group.

“We wrote to the minister of works and minister of agriculture requesting information on BAMSI,” he said. “The minister of works acknowledged that he received the letter. He said he would deal with some of the issues we raised and that the other ones will be dealt with by the minister of agriculture. To date I have not received anything about BAMSI. I have received absolutely nothing.”

He said he would also question the additional funding allocated to BAMSI in the new fiscal year.

Mr Davis has said it will cost $5.5 million to rebuild the dorm.