NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The head of a local NGO and key stakeholder in the COVID-19 Food Distribution program has expressed serious concern that criticisms levied against it could cast non-profit organizations in the country in a “bad light” and erode donor trust.
Philip Smith, former executive director of the Bahamas Feeding Network, told Eyewitness News that he was proud of the work done by the National Food Distribution Task Force created by the former Minnis administration.
Smith vouched for the meticulous oversight of Susan Larson who headed the $53 million program, and suggested that controversy surrounding the feeding program work was politically motivated.
The program was thrust into the spotlight earlier this month after Prime Minister Philip Davis during his mid-year budget statement in the House of Assembly, said the “ongoing” review of the COVID-19 feeding initiative “has produced some startling results”.
Davis said: “During a period of great food insecurity, when many Bahamians were struggling to feed themselves and their families, several NGOs failed to utilise the full amount allocated to them.”
The prime minister said the program also suffered from poor record keeping, leaving one to question its true purpose. Cabinet ministers and government officials in the Davis administration have repeatedly maintained that there are no records of the Task Force’s work
Yesterday, Smith said: “I am not political at all and I think I am both friends with Hubert Minnis and Brave Davis. I think we must be careful not to cause discouragement among persons who want to do good; NGOs and persons who run those organizations. The other thing is that donors in the country may be hesitant.
“They may feel that local NGOS are not transparent but are instead dishonest. I worked over two years with about seven organizations that participated in the food distribution task force. We were like a family. I never doubted that everyone that participated was honest. I found Susan Larson to be very demanding in ensuring that information was presented. There is so much information. I’m sure that the Auditor General has a lot of work to do in the going though that information.”
Auditor General Terrance Bastian confirmed to Eyewitness News that an audit of the feeding program is ongoing but could not say when it will be concluded.
“We have received information [from Larson]. We are doing our checks and will be able to report on our findings as soon as possible. I can’t say when,” Bastian said.
Smith told Eyewitness News that the Prime Minister’s comments regarding the feeding program should not have been made prior to the Auditor General’s report.
“I come from an auditing background,” Smith said.
“I’m a certified public accountant. You have audits to determine whether anything untoward took place. I don’t think there should have been any comments being made about whether there was anything untoward. I think it can definitely cast some bad light on these organizations.
“People will probably become a little concerned as to whether their money is being used in the way it should if people are making these types of comments about their work. I know at the Bahamas Feeding Network we were very detailed in our reporting. I think all of the groups that were a part of that task force did the same thing. Susan Larson insisted that we be very detailed in our reporting. That’s why I think it’s political but they shouldn’t involve the groups who worked so hard over those two years,” Smith added.
The feeding program was initially intended to be a 12-week initiative. The program however remained in operation for 70 weeks with $53 million in funding.
According to the Task Force’s records, over the course of the program, 474,420 vouchers and 972,191 food parcels were distributed. The Task Force maintained an electronic database of those 54,000 households, which were eventually reduced to 18,000 later in the program.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly titled Philip Smith as the executive director of the Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN). Smith is no longer serving as executive director but remains on the BFN board. Lester Ferguson is the current executive director.
