Providenciales, 16 Dec 2015 – The country reported a near $19 million dollar surplus and yet, basic essentials like toilet tissue is sometimes un-purchased due to a reported disconnect between the Government Treasury and the Central Purchasing Unit. The problem was addressed in the Findings Report of the Appropriations Committee during House of Assembly debate; that report was tabled along with the request of Government for more money to run the country. Hon Ruth Blackman, Appropriations Committee Chair: “…did not have bleach, toilet tissue, hand towel, hand sanitizers etc… and this was of great concern to us when we found out that because of some technical glitch or something that is going on between the Treasury and the Central Purchasing Unit, that the funds are not allocated to the Central Purchasing Unit as quickly as it should.”
Hon Ruth Blackman, government appointed member added that electricity bills being unpaid and the cost for preparations and precautions related to fending off Ebola, Chikungunya Virus and Dengue Fever are the biggest expenses in the budget supplementary next to education. While the Appropriations Committee was impressed with the ability of government departments to keep spending down; they were equally unimpressed with the Permanent Secretaries under budgeting of power bills; more money was requested to pay off arrears.
“…by many departments for increased funding to meet the cost of electricity for the financial year or they was under budgeting in some cases, and Mr. Speaker this was of great concern to the Committee particularly that during the main Appropriation hearings we were confidently told by the Permanent Secretaries that appeared that there was sufficient money within their allocation to meet the cost of electricity, however we found out that Permanent Secretaries still had arrears from the last financial year that had to be met.”
