The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE Minnis administration is in the process of reviewing contracted public service officers with a view to slashing the level of wastage in the public sector, according to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

Asked whether the government had undertaken a hiring freeze in the aftermath of a sobering view of the economy and of the level of government spending under the former Christie administration disclosed during the House of Assembly’s budget debate, Dr Minnis said hiring will take place “only as necessary.”

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest said the economic plan being chartered during the ongoing 2017-2018 budget debate aims to stabilise the country’s finances, as he underscored the continued need to reduce “discretionary spending” and bring the nation’s expenditure under control.

“(Hiring is) only as necessary,” Dr Minnis told The Tribune when contacted yesterday.

“(This is) to ensure the proper running of (the) country. There can be no increased expenditure. In fact, we aim to continuously decrease expenditure while improving efficiency and production.

“Contracted officers are being reviewed to remove wastage.”

The Minnis administration has projected borrowing more than $722m to cover inherited outstanding bills along with the costs associated with running the country moving forward, after discovering the Christie administration left “the cupboard bare,” according to Mr Turnquest.

The deputy prime minister has explained that $400m is needed to satisfy expenditure for the past fiscal year, while $322,462,707m will be borrowed for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, amounting to $722,462,707m.

Responding to questions on the viability of the country’s economy moving forward, the East Grand Bahama MP last Wednesday said the government is currently attempting to grow the economy in a way that does not inflict any additional long-term “harm.”

He told reporters gathered outside the House of Assembly that the initial review of resources and spending habits has uncovered a non-productive system of governance.

Mr Turnquest, a forensic accountant by profession, said the review also suggests that the government could “squeeze out some of the excess” from the public expenditure.

“As we go through and we understand the numbers and we understand the theories and the assumptions behind the numbers, we may be able to squeeze out some of the excess and some of that fat,” the minister of finance said.

Mr Turnquest said it remains the government’s main aim to determine if the country has received “value for money” and that if the government was “maximising” its tax revenues.