The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Davis administration has earmarked just $40,000 for the Office of the Ombudsman and $100,000 for the Independent Commission of Investigations, two bodies it has promoted as central to strengthening accountability and investigating official misconduct.

Budget documents show the Office of the Ombudsman’s allocation increased by only $110 from the previous fiscal year, when it received $39,890.

The Independent Commission of Investigations, which is intended to investigate serious complaints, including allegations involving members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence Force, received $100,000, up from $30,000 in the 2025/2026 budget cycle.

The allocations come as the government has also set aside $140,000 for implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, an amount officials previously said falls far short of the estimated $1m needed to put the transparency law into effect.

The figures raise questions about how quickly the government intends to make its good governance agenda functional after identifying the Ombudsman’s Office and the Independent Commission of Investigations as pillars of its accountability reforms.

The Independent Commission of Investigations Act was passed in early 2025 to establish an independent body empowered to investigate serious complaints, including alleged misconduct by police and defence force officers. It followed an explosive indictment alleging widespread corruption involving cocaine smuggling.

The Office of the Ombudsman is intended to independently investigate complaints against government agencies, address maladministration and protect citizens’ rights.

Attorney General Wayne Munroe could not explain the limited allocations when questioned yesterday, saying he had not yet met with the relevant sections involved in preparing the budget.

He said the figures cover recurrent expenditure only and do not include accommodation costs, which fall under the Ministry of Public Service, or any required capital expenditure.