Davis: Public Accounts Committee will investigate '$1bn spent by government'

PLP leader Philip 'Brave' Davis.

As of Thursday, April 12, 2018

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Philip "Brave" Davis announced yesterday the Public Accounts Committee will investigate the fact that the government has reportedly spent more than $1 billion in the first six months of the 2017-2018 fiscal year and is also summoning representatives of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education to explain why they either refuse to comply with the committee's requests for information or have ignored them.

Mr Davis said the committee requested information from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank on the country's deficit figures. He said while the Central Bank responded, the Ministry of Finance claimed the committee lacks jurisdiction to review the matter.

"The Finance Ministry will be summoned to the committee on its resumed date for hearing April 24 to clarify its position," he said in a press statement yesterday.

Likewise, he said the committee asked representatives of the Ministry of Education "to come and explain the contract for the building repairs to the Stephen Dillet Primary School.

Summons

The Education Ministry ignored the committee's request. A summons has been issued for the ministry.

"Finally, the committee is to open an investigation into the fact that the government reportedly spent (more than $1bn) in the first six months of the fiscal year 2017 to 2018. This is some $500 million more than the period the same time in fiscal (year) 2016-2017," Mr Davis said.

Contractual matters related to the Stephen Dillet Primary School became controversial last year when Works Minister Desmond Bannister revealed the contract to renovate the school was not awarded in accordance with best practices.

A row of words subsequently erupted over which administration allowed the project to begin.

Education Minister Jeff Lloyd said the first time he was made aware of the PAC's request for information was when he was contacted by this newspaper yesterday.

He said his ministry will comply with the PAC's requests.

"The PAC is a statutorily established committee, the most powerful in the House of Assembly," Mr Lloyd said. "By law they are authorised to investigate any organisation or entity that is the recipient of funds from the people of this country. Whomever they want to speak to in this ministry they are welcome to do so at anytime.

"This is a government of openness, accountability and transparency. Anything ever conducted in this ministry is open for scrutiny by the representatives of the people and that is the PAC. We have nothing to hide. It doesn't matter who it is, what it is, the scope of their investigation, please come on by. No sweat, no problem.

"It is with great respect and admiration that our democracy works in the matter in which it does because it shows this is what the framers of the constitution envisioned, that there would be accountability for the public's hard earned money. Compliance is the morally and constitutionally appropriate thing to do."

Giordano 6 years ago

Well done by the Minister of Education Mr.Jeff Lloyd.! What an example of a cabinet member! Unlike the DPM who seems to be hiding something. It is also well done by the current opposition leader Mr. Braves Davis who seems to be making opposition only by impulse but he lacks moral integrity to talk about corruption,actually he should be behind bars and I mean in prison and not in bars or restaurant,drinking and eating with the money he misused from the Bahamian people. It is recorded in the local media that while he was Minister of works and also DPM, he added more to the National External Debt by borrowing the majestic amound of Twenty Six Millions dollars to make a little correction to the Road Project Program,and the only thing he did,was to brake the little middle division line from "Little General Convenience store" to "Robinson Road" then he borrowed another similar amound of money,to take off little portion of already paved Blue Hill Rd, and putting those patches back,the ones close to C.R. Walker School, more than Forty Five Millions Dollars!!. For that little correction!!!. He needs to explain to the people!. Now is said to be "People's Time" ,acknowledging it is also,People's money.!

Giordano 6 years ago

It doesn't matter who misuse the public funds,corruption must be addressed with character,very quick!. This is the land of so many banks!,more than four hundreds banks, mostly in N.P. . A lot of auditors,accountants,controllers,that means,this land knows the ABC of auditing , it is easy to know who stoled, "The People's Money",put them behind bars and get the money back!!. Why this current administration took a quick U-turn in tackling corruption?, Public and private?. We have folmers Prime Ministers also Ministers of Finance who didn't explain to the Bahamian society,the whereabouts of few thousands of millions of dollars yet. Why the National Production is not expanded? One never can harvest without planting. The percentage of agricultural land is not even six percent (6%),where it could be more than 80% (eighty percent). Again ,you can't harvest what you don't plant. Why nontributary production is increased? We have too many unanswer questions. Zero answers!!.