Since taking office in 2012 this Christie administration has shown itself inconsistent; failing to meet self-imposed deadlines and defaulting on countless election campaign promises. What has been consistent however, are numerous acts of government impropriety, and an opacity in governance like never before seen in our country’s history, particularly as it relates to the use of public funds.

The simple truth is this: THIS GOVERNMENT CANNOT BE TRUSTED WITH THE PUBLIC PURSE. Before the dust settles on one set of allegations, new scandals are unearthed. Over the past several months, diligent members of the press have uncovered countless instances of misconduct on the part of government officials. Grabbing headlines most recently have been the breaches taking place at BAMSI –where millions of tax payer dollars went up in smoke as a result of the failure of officials at the Ministry of Works to execute the necessary checks and balances – and recently, allegations of cronyism and reckless spending within Urban Renewal’s small home repairs program. According to the Auditor General, millions of dollars from the public purse were spent for work to homes which were only half done or never completed at all.

Rather than take responsibility for the fallout, government appointed officials instead launched a savage attack on the Auditor General and have even refused to cooperate with an investigation by the Public Accounts Committee. Such behavior while appalling is by no means surprising. The past three years of PLP governance are filled with examples of government officials who have, in the face of insurmountable evidence of their wrongdoing, become defensive and combative proving once again the arrogance of members of this Christie government.

As the country’s economy continues to stagnate and the national debt balloons out of control, the government’s record of fiscal mismanagement gives way to new concerns about future plans for public funds, more specifically funds collected via the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT).

In the run up to the January implementation of VAT, the government had suggested that the funds collected would be used to pay down the government’s debt and fund other social programs. Four months since the launch of the new tax regime, the government has collected more than 10 million dollars. So far however, this Christie led administration has given no account of how that money is being used if at all. Instead we have been presented with countless examples of government wastage. In the face of the latest government scandals however, PM Perry Christie has offered no indication about how, if at all these matters will be addressed.

Despite numerous calls from various quarters of the country for the implementation of a viable Freedom of Information Act, the government continues to drag its feet on this key piece of legislation – which was recommended by the government’s own tax consultants. While paying only lip service to the idea of transparency and accountability, the absence of that legislation is merely an excuse for this Christie administration to continue to keep the facts from the Bahamian people.

The Democratic National Alliance calls on the government to state definitively how much has been collected in the way of taxes and give an account to the public on exactly how the government has spent and will spend that money. NO government should be allowed to spend recklessly without being made to account for it’s spending. Our country’s economy, our people and our future depend on it.

Christopher Mortimer
DNA Deputy Leader