The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

OFFICIAL Opposition Leader Philip "Brave" Davis is using the powers conferred on him as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee to send for explanations from the Ministry of Finance on several matters, including a list of major invoices that will make up the $360m in arrears that the Minnis administration said the former government left to be paid.

Mr Davis is also seeking clarification on the methodology employed with respect to accounting arrears between the fiscal periods of 2017-2018 and 2016-2017.

He said there appeared to be a lack of consistency regarding to the settling of arrears.

The Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP said he further wants details of value added tax refunds assessed by the Ministry of Finance on any entity in Grand Bahama or elsewhere in the country as a result of recent changes in relevant laws and regulations.

During the PLP's monthly press conference at its headquarters yesterday, Mr Davis went on to raise concerns about there being no furniture in the physical office assigned to him to carry out duties associated with his post.

He said his senior executive assistant has not been paid since September 2017 because his contract has not been regularised.

This, he said, was "unacceptable" as he claimed to have received numerous assurances from Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis the issue would be dealt with expediently.

"As the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, I have officially written the chief clerk of the House of Assembly to request explanations from the acting financial secretary and the minister of finance on the following items: provide clarification on the methodology employed with respect to accounting for arrears between this year and last, specifically, comment on the apparent lack of consistency with respect to settlement of arrears and specifically provide a complete listing of the $360m foreshadowed to be paid over a three-year period.

"Provide the specifics of all of the loans that were settled and rescheduled during the past fiscal year 2017-2018, (along) with a specific schedule outlining which loans were restructured, the terms of the old loan and the terms of new loans. Further provide specifics of the total of all commissions and/or fees paid in relation thereto."

He also wants a list of major invoices making up the $386m the government is said to have paid off just before the end of the 2016-2017 fiscal year.

"He (Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest) said they were all old PLP bills and that the PLP government was spending money like a drunken sailor," Mr Davis said. "That assertion must be put to the test.

"A breakdown of how the $2.3bn borrowed to date was spent; a detailed explanation from the financial secretary is valuable and in the public's interest; the status and clarification on the handling of the Revenue Enhancement Unit within the Ministry of Finance. The finance minister said the REU was floundering but the labour minister said it was illegal for the government to contract the services of private law firms to collect divers sums of uncollected tax dollars on behalf of the government.

"The labour minister promised to regularise the process and structure. We need to know how and when this will take place. The status of the 2,000 unregistered high-end commercial properties must also be aggressively pursued by the PAC in the public interest," Mr Davis said.