Photo: Heather Hunt (Facebook)
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Nassau, Bahamas - The inaugural meeting of the Cabinet was
held this morning at the Cecil Wallace Whitfield Centre and the people’s
business was begun. All Cabinet
Ministers were present, except Hon. Desmond Bannister, Minister of Works, who
is out of the country.
The Cabinet established under Article 72
of the Constitution of The Bahamas, is a collegiate body with collective decision-making
and collective responsibility. It
decided that all Ministers would conduct an audit within his Ministry
(including departments and agencies funded by the public purse) of persons hired
on contract, their job title/position, salary and period of contract. It would also be determined whether there are
also contract persons attached to a project or projects funded by an International
agency.
It was agreed that where persons were
hired with specialty skills who have been performing needed services, that
every effort would be made to retain their services.
Forensic audits will also be conducted
on the Urban Renewal Department, the Bank of The Bahamas and BAMSI, among
others.
The Internal Audit of the Ministry of
Finance will also be reviewing processes within Ministries and departments to
bring about greater efficiencies.
The government is seeking to curtail
unnecessary expenditure and the results of these audits will assist it in
determining the way forward.
Where persons are found to be in breach of
the Financial Administrative & Audit Act, to have misappropriated public
funds or engaged in unlawful activities, the law will take its course.
The Cabinet also held Preliminary
discussions on the budget exercise as the budget must be presented to
parliament and come into effect by July I, 2017.