‘Extra staff needed’ to meet disclosure rules

PUBLIC Services State Minister Pia Glover-Rolle.

As of Thursday, May 5, 2022

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC Services State Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said the challenges public officials face meeting financial disclosure requirements highlight the need for investment in additional staff to help officials meet their obligations.

The Tribune asked numerous parliamentarians yesterday if they had filed their disclosures on time. Of those, some said they had done so, including Mrs Glover-Rolle, Dr Hubert Minnis, Dr Michael Darville, Glenys Hanna Martin, Leon Lundy, Wayne Munroe, John Pinder, Shanendon Cartwright, Adrian White, Clay Sweeting and Keith Bell.

Bishop Victor Cooper, chairman of the Public Disclosure Commission, reportedly told The Nassau Guardian that some first-time MPs were not aware that there was a legal requirement for them to file financial disclosures under the Public Disclosures Act.

Mrs Glover-Rolle, a first time MP, said she found the process of disclosing her financial information challenging.

She said: “Like I see on social media people are saying we are parliamentarians so we should know the requirements, then there is the argument that some of us are new. I disclosed for December 2021 before the due date.

“I will say to you this: apparently we were supposed to disclose also for the previous year, which would’ve been up to December 31st 2020. That would’ve been the disclosure put in the newspaper. When I disclosed for the second one I was told we also need to put in for the previous one, when we weren’t parliamentarians.

“I did mine on time. It’s pretty straightforward, but it’s not an easy process, you have to know what to do. I’m a business owner so you know how to do your financials.”

In January, the House of Assembly passed a resolution establishing a standing committee to examine the management and budget of the House of Assembly and to consider matters related to salaries, allowances, infrastructural needs and the relationship between the legislature and executive branches of government.

At the time, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell said he believed the House should have an accountant to assist MPs with their disclosures, noting members often scramble to complete their reports.

“Mr Mitchell has called for consideration for parliamentarians to have accountants on staff,” Mrs Glover-Rolle noted yesterday. “I definitely support that because what’s easy for one person may not be easy for another. Staff would help to manage the process and provide support that is needed.”

• This article has been corrected to say Mrs Glover-Rolle disclosed “for” December 2021 – instead of “in” December 2021.

JokeyJack 2 years, 7 months ago

Since 2014 they haven't figured out how to tell us "Where the VAT money gone" - so I don't hold out any hope on this one.

I wonder if, for example, when people pay their light bill at a place like Omni - if Omni is required to tell the power company how much money they collected and for who? Probably yes. But why should they? Why can't they just collect people's money and keep it and spend it without any reporting whatsoever, just like government does?

But of course, if they did not report correctly to the power company - they would be put in court and possibly go to jail. They are just ordinary common dog citizens - not high and mighty government officials - that's probably the difference.

Sickened 2 years, 7 months ago

These first timers are all under the age of 16? I ask because every adult hears the same story every year about those parliamentarians who have not filed in accordance with the law. These first timers must have been transported from another dimension. Then and only then could that excuse be used. These first timers have obviously spent time around politics and its machinery because they couldn't have made it this far without it. So based on the above... I call LIAR on every politician that used this excuse. YOU are disgusting and entitled SOB's who should be fined and jailed for not following the law. YOU are scum and NOT worthy of holding a seat in government. YOU are criminals at heart and your returns should be investigated by a public committee.

DDK 2 years, 7 months ago

Hear! Hear!

tribanon 2 years, 7 months ago

Fully agree.....you're absolutely right.

DWW 2 years, 7 months ago

(a)greed

TalRussell 2 years, 7 months ago

And comrades, if none of this makes sense on this Thursday day, well ... It's goin' be made to sound and look as it does after one House elected MP digs in their heels to get away with playing the distraction game that is the go-to excuse to further overburdening the PopoulacesPurse with dozens, hundreds and thousands more extra unnecessariness' ... was to get behind coloring over the lame excuses offered by MPs'.. ... MPs who but for the policemans' having to wait for political instruction to go conduct a raid upon the House of Assembly and arrest ... Some MPS would've been facing two-years jail-time. ... Instead of a minister issuing an urgent plea for investment in hiring extra staff to help grown adult MPs to promise they might/might not meet their financial disclosure obligations, ― Yes?

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