The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL Bank governor John Rolle says the government's method for determining the country's deficit has remained consistent from administration to administration even as he avoided being caught in the fray between the Minnis administration and the Progressive Liberal Party's argument over the matter.

Opposition Leader Philip "Brave" Davis announced Wednesday the Public Accounts Committee is investigating matters related to deficit figures, a matter that has been a source of contention between the two sides since last year's budget communication by Finance Minister Peter Turnquest.

Asked during a Ministry of Finance press conference yesterday to address the controversy, Mr Rolle said: "No I won't speak publicly to it. We've communicated with the accounts committee to explain to them the compilation methodology."

Mr Davis also said the Ministry of Finance has ignored its request to provide information on the matter, claiming the committee was told it lacks the jurisdiction to do so. He said the ministry will be summoned to explain this position.

Mr Turnquest, currently acting prime minister, however, said yesterday no such request has been brought to his attention.

"I cannot answer the question because I have not seen the request," he said, adding the ministry will comply with any request that follows appropriate procedures.

"There is a procedure that the PAC chairman knows well," he said. "You'd recall we had quite a debate about this in the last session of Parliament so he knows very well how this works.

"It's interesting and you know the saying what's good for the goose is good for the gander kind of view? We have no difficulty with any legitimate request for information once it fits within the Financial Administration and Audit Act. We have no difficulty and let me assure you there is nothing that we in the Ministry of Finance are concerned about in terms of how we have managed our finances since our election in May to now and in fact we have reported to the Bahamian people clearly, accurately all of the statistics and I don't have any difficulty answering questions."