VIOLATION: Cooper slams pre-election report as inaccurate “breach of law”

VIOLATION: Cooper slams pre-election report as inaccurate “breach of law”
Exumas and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper (KEVAL WILLIAMS/EWN)

Shadow minister of finance says govt’s accounting for outstanding arrears “highly questionable”

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Deputy Leader Chester Cooper yesterday slammed the government’s Pre-Election Economic & Fiscal Update report, arguing that it is in breach of the law as it contains no information on contracts entered into by the government since the passage of the annual budget.

“You cannot accurately report arrears without considering outstanding contracts. This was the precise reason this provision in the law was created as was explained when it was tabled and debated in Parliament,” said Cooper in a statement yesterday.

“The report indicates that the total outstanding arrears of the government is $109 million as at August 25, 2021. This is highly questionable.

“It is not within the realm of probability that the Ministry of Works and Department of Works have no outstanding payments to vendors. What about payments owed to contractors doing major work at CW Sawyer and SC McPherson for the Ministry of Education? What about pending contracts for other school repairs?

“Are we also to believe that only the Department of Corrections has employees owed funds due to reinstatement? What about the outstanding transfers to public corporations?

“Does the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) not owe Aqua Design half a million dollars?

“Are increments still not owed to public servants after payments having been frozen for two years? Has the government rescheduled any principal payments? There is no mention of this is the report.”

Cooper also questioned the government’s arrangement with Goldman Sachs for additional borrowing.

“We are curious about the full terms of this arrangement, as well as the loan agreements with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and World Bank as previously requested,” said Cooper.

“While there are very serious questions arising from the document, we thank the government for this report and are happy we were able to assist in promoting its delivery to the taxpayer.

“This administration lacks transparency. We wonder what is it that they are hiding.”

Ministry of Finance officials yesterday noted that Annex A of the Fiscal Responsibility Act indicates the government should provide a list of open invoices since the start of the budget year — a listing the report provided.