From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
DNA: Show Me the Money
By Christopher Mortimer, DNA Deputy Leader
Apr 19, 2015 - 12:11:24 PM
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
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