By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Governance reformers yesterday called for improved transparency in government amid continuing concerns that parliamentary committees are failing to regularly meet.

Matt Aubry, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) executive director, told Tribune Business that Reece Chipman, the independent MP for Centreville, had raised “a critical point...relating to the need for these committees to be active and reporting”.

“The state of the Treasury is key, as is the Public Accounts Committee, and I think they are in place to provide another level of accountability and oversight - one that falls across partisan lines. It gives a further level of assurance to the public that governance is happening,” Mr Aubry said, noting the concerns over the Public Accounts Committee’s inactivity despite its role as spending watchdog.

“I think, with all honesty, what we heard in Parliament on Wednesday related to the lack of those committees meeting, and the lack of timeline for reporting on their actions, as well as the stated concern related to how agenda items are put forward.”

Mr Chipman, a Public Accounts Committee member, questioned in the House of Assembly on Wednesday how the two main political parties could be in “campaign mode” when the Public Accounts Committee had yet to report on the condition of the government’s finances.

“The fact that these committees have not met, and the fact that there is not even a semblance that they intend to, to me is a dereliction of duty that is impactful when we send people in this House of Assembly to represent us the Bahamian people,” Mr Chipman said.

“These members on these committees represent more than 60,000 constituents -registered voters, if you look at the map. I just think it is important for the citizens of the Bahamas to realise how serious our House of Assembly is and how serious we take the business of the people.”

“PLPs and FNMs are on these committees, and for two-and-a-half years there has been nothing; no response on the state of the Public Treasury or the accounts of our country.”

Mr Aubry, in response, said: “In other spaces not only will these types of reports be tabled, and be a more regular and more active process, but they augment the other systems in place. So if you have a Fiscal Responsibility Act, you have reports from the Central Bank and you have a Fiscal Responsibility Council, this gives a number of different perspectives that are put in place.

“We’re looking at not just how the finances of the Bahamian government, and the use of taxpayer money, is being monitored and managed, but what is the long-term state of these institutions like the Treasury.

“Ultimately, when they talk about the House rules and the work of the Parliament, are these managed and being kept up in accordance with what is an ever-developing standard that speaks to a more effective and efficient system of government that ensures more inclusive and strong democracy.”

Mr Chipman had also complained he was not being informed about which legislation was to be debated in Parliament on any given day. Renward Wells, leader of government business in the House, replied that MPs are expected to be prepared to debate whatever is on the agenda for the day, regardless if it was tabled months ago and scheduled for a second reading, or tabled during that day’s sitting for the first reading.