Nassau – Convinced that the FNM Government is becoming less transparent and honest with Bahamians everyday, Opposition Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis is calling on Finance Minister K. Peter Turnquest to explain, in full detail, how the people’s money is being spent.
Davis, while speaking at a recent PLP rally, was very adamant about his request to have the Deputy Prime Minister provide an official report with respect to settlement of bills in arrears. Davis believes that he must do so as failure to comply would prove his government’s apparent lack of consistency on the issue.
The Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP revealed that as head of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), he has asked for a letter to be written to the Clark of the House of Assembly to have Minister Turnquest and the Acting Financial Secretary to provide the committee with information related to the matter.
Firstly, he said PAC wants an explanation of the methodology employed with respect to accounting for arrears between this year 2017/2018 and last year 2016/2017. Secondly, Davis says PAC wants a complete listing of the $360 million, which the government foreshadowed would be paid over a three-year period.
“Turnquest needs to provide the specifics of all loans that were settled and rescheduled during the past fiscal year,” he said. “We need to know which loans were restructured. Tell us the terms of the old loans and terms of the new loans.”
The PLP leader said the Bahamian people also need to know what the total of all commissions/and or fees paid in connection with the loans. “In short, we need to have a break down of how the $2.3 billion borrowed to date was spent” Davis said. “I am learning how this government has been giving back ‘big fat VAT’ cheques to some companies. We in the PAC and the PLP want to know who has been getting these big fat VAT cheques as this may be illegal.”
