The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell last night said St Anne’s MP Adrian White was trying to “smear” the foreign service when he claimed the government had bought at least three luxury BMW vehicles for its embassy in Washington DC.

Mr Mitchell, speaking at the Chinese New Year celebration at Margaritaville last night, said: “I expect when Parliament meets on Wednesday to have a full set of answers on that. The Member of Parliament for St Anne’s made a considerable number of material misstatements. He was trying to smear the Foreign Service, and we will answer him thor-oughly when Parliament meets.”

Mr White had raised concerns about the acquisition of luxury cars for the embassy, suggesting potential fiscal irresponsibility. An audit of the embassy, presented in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, revealed that at least three luxury cars were acquired in the past two years - a 2023 BMW 740i, a 2023 BMW 740 XI, and a 2022 BMW 740.

In addition to addressing the luxury car controversy, Mr Mitchell also spoke about the government’s position on China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

He noted that the initiative remains “under the consideration of the government” and said: “I can’t pronounce on that. We have no opposition to Belt and Road Project, but it’s a formal decision which has to be taken by the government, and the matter is under consideration at the moment.”

The Belt and Road Initiative, a Chinese-led global development strategy, has drawn attention for its potential to fund infrastructure projects.

The recent Bahamas Business Outlook saw The Bahamas being urged to join its Belt and Road Initiative while the US cautioned against potential risks.

Chinese Ambassador Yan Jiarong called for The Bahamas to sign on, citing economic opportunities and development projects.

Meanwhile, US Embassy charge d’affaires Kimberly Furnish warned against investments with “nefarious strings attached”, indirectly referencing China.

The Foreign Affairs Minister also addressed questions surrounding the shift in accounting responsibilities within the ministry, clarifying the legislative mandated change in roles of the Permanent Secretary (PS) and the Director General.

Minister Fred Mitchell explained: “The Public Finance Management Act requires a principal accounting officer. With the separation of the Foreign Service from the Public Service generally, the permanent secretary will remain the principal accounting officer for the ministry, and the Director General will be the public accounting officer for the corporation.”