By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
The Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader yesterday pressed the Christie administration for a proper accounting of Value-Added Tax (VAT) revenue, accusing it of wasting monies on pet projects and those that had gone over-budget.
Branville McCartney’s call came after Michael Halkitis, minister of state for finance, on Tuesday night defended the Christie administration’s spending while addressing the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) convention.
Mr McCartney said: “We want a breakdown of what goes into the Consolidated Fund; from where and by how much. How do you allocate what you spend from the Consolidated Fund and why? We see clearly that the money can’t be allocated for one thing and reallocated to the next.”
He added: “We want to know, or for it to be shown to us in very clear and numerical terms, a month-by-month break down for each Ministry. We need to know why did the VAT revenue not go to pay down the debt as they said it would?
“Where is the Central Revenue Agency and the legislation that the Christie administration promised to bring to Parliament in an attempt to move the collection of public monies out of the ineffective system.”
Mr Halkitis said that as a result of the Christie administration’s tax reforms, the Government has been able to get put the Bahamas’ finances on a better footing and double the investment in scholarships.
He added that it had also provided the financial resources to transition from the College of The Bahamas to The University of Bahamas at well over $12 million, plus the building of new schools and repairing existing ones; funding the introduction of National Health Insurance (NHI); and investment in public healthcare facilities.
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