#Providenciales, March 31, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Millions
of dollars went unspent this fiscal year and it affected the fulfillment of
significant capital projects including repairs to public buildings and modernization
in government services; the Opposition PNP lambasted the PDM Government for
this gross underspending and accused the administration of playing politics
with the people’s money.
“The real
problem here, the crux of the matter is that the government was not able to
draw down on the 2018-2019 budget allocation and in a last ditch effort to save
face, they have come with this supplementary appropriation with the sole
purpose of placating the people of these islands as it relates to the technical
vocation school and I doubt very much that all the necessary processes and
research was done to ensure that it is the best location and the best
facility.”
During
debate on Friday to re-arrange monies to the tune of $4.3 million dollars, the
Opposition side had three members who lent strongly to the debate; Washington
Misick, PNP Leader; Royal Robinson, Opposition Appointed Member and Josephine
Connolly, all island member who recently went from an independent member to the
PNP side, after resigning the PDM party.
Reasons
cited in an Appropriations Committee Report included that some projects never
made it to tender, while others were under-funded and were unable to proceed
leaving millions of dollars unspent and millions in projects undone.
Former
Finance Minister, Washington Misick read periodically from the report during
his contribution on the supplementary to the Budget; he labelled some
explanations in the document deceptive and the inability to complete some
school projects, disappointing.
“It is assumed these projects will be in 2019-2020 because it’ll be a travesty to those communities, particularly at the secondary school level if their capital budgets are being reduced or removed, just to be able to make a statement, a political one.” He added, “Mr. Speaker, if you are phasing a project, it’s not that it is being decreased, the cost is being deferred by the very nature of the word phasing means that instead of coming this month, it may come three months later so some of the language that is used in here, that comes across as being somewhat deceptive.”
Hon.
Misick was critical of the leap of the PDM Government to buy a building for a
Technical and Vocational school; revealing that the new purchase was never a
part of the roster for the original 2018-2019 Budget and that more research
should be done before the government spent the public’s money on a site which
could prove unfit for long term development.
Three
million dollars was announced as the cost for TCIG to acquire the current site
of the Oseta Jolly Primary school; the school just behind Abundant Life
Ministries church.
Hon Royal
Robinson asked the government about its promise for change.
“Something
has to be done by now with the procurement process. Mr. Speaker we cannot continue down this path
and one of the complaints we have been having from a number of our indigenous
contractors is that they have not been getting some of the work because of the
onerous requirement that has been placed on the process.” Robinson added, “Mr. Speaker you have a new
sheriff in town who said she is the agent for change… the Premier has a duty
and a responsibility to come to the House with the legislation that’s needed to
change this thing, it could only be changed here and if the powers that be
don’t sign on then we go to the streets Mr. Speaker!
Hon
Connolly agrees that the procurement ordinance is not delivering for the people,
and that the technical and vocational school is a brand-new project. The Member expressed her surprise that
changes to the Development Budget were coming just two days before the end of
the fiscal year, which ends on Sunday, March 31, 2019.
“It’s
lack of planning, all of this has been left for last minute or in this case,
the last day. This is not the first
rushed bill we have had but I am going to suggest Mr. Speaker that our
Government needs to consider a legislative time table, it is very good tool,
and it will stop some of these last-minute dramas.”
Hon
Connolly said she supports the idea of a trade school and asked for details of
the policy.
Cuts included half a million dollars in furniture for schools, no refurbishment construction at some schools and other public buildings because bids came in above what was budgeted, and cuts in technological advances to help both the real estate and tourism industry, among others.
#magneticmedianews
#4milliondollarunderspend
#tcitechnicalandvocationalschool