Public BAMSI hearings await finance approval

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE public hearing on matters related to the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute will not come until after the 2015/2016 budget presentation as it still awaits financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance, according to St Anne’s MP Hubert Chipman yesterday.

House Speaker Dr Kendal Major revealed last week in Parliament that he granted the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) request for the hearing.

At the time, he said, a letter was forwarded to Prime Minister Perry Christie, who is the finance minister, for approval. Financial matters relating to Parliament are subject to the Ministry of Finance’s scrutiny, Dr Major said.

Mr Chipman, who is chairman of the PAC, told The Tribune that as it stands, a number of other factors play into how soon a nationally televised BAMSI hearing could happen.

He said: “The speaker has written to the prime minister. Let me say here that this is not for permission, but for financial clearance because the speaker doesn’t have the funds to finance a public hearing. In that regard he has to reach out to the minister of finance, the prime minister.

“However, going forward, I did have that discussion with him and he did indicate that he will take those things into consideration when the budget comes around that we would (have) adequate funds for events such as this. Even from a staffing point of view… as you know since Mr (Leon) Rahming died a year ago, he has yet to be replaced (as assistant clerk in the House of Assembly). So there are staffing challenges as far as the House is concerned as well.

“I think the speaker is taking all of that into consideration because it is more than the Public Accounts Committee that requires funding. But he is not in the position to proceed from a financial stand point.”

Last month, the PAC petitioned the speaker for a live, televised hearing following accusations by the Free National Movement that protocol might have been broken to issue BAMSI contracts.

At the time, Mr Christie not only told reporters that he was certain all of the contractors working at BAMSI had all-risk insurance, but he urged the PAC to widen the perimetres of its probe into the spending of the Ministry of Works to include contracts signed during the previous Ingraham administration.

Mr Christie insinuated that the contents of files from the Ministry of Works could uncover wrongdoing under the previous FNM government, implying some policies were not adhered to during the tenure of former Works Minister Neko Grant.

Mr Grant, at the time, shot back at these accusations.

Comments

duppyVAT says...

And who controls the Power of the Purse???????????? Perry?????????

Posted 23 April 2015, 2:40 p.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

There is no need for a public hearing. Mr. Chipman has most of the media on his party side and they will milk this story to death. BAMSI is good for the Bahamas even if the FNM;s disagree. It is important to please the masses and not the FNM party. Mr Chipman and his Leader Dr: Minnis live for the "I caught You " moments which matter not if the Bahamian people are not with you.

Posted 23 April 2015, 3:22 p.m. Suggest removal

asiseeit says...

It is not the concept, it is the implementation of that concept.

Posted 23 April 2015, 11:30 p.m. Suggest removal

newcitizen says...

BAMSI is a fantastic idea. The underhanded dealing with all of the associated contracts is the problem. Contracts given without a proper tender process, lime tree purchased for inflated sums, contractors not being required to insure their work, lying about all of this to the rest of the government and the Bahamian people.

The reason Minnis is living in a "I caught you" moment is because every time we turn around, the current government is caught doing something new.

Posted 24 April 2015, 11:51 a.m. Suggest removal

duppyVAT says...

The AG will block it legally .............. and the MOF will not finance it ............ PAC is toothless beyond small budget issues that do not involve the real big money guys or the political inner circle ................... there will be no subpoenas or public hearings on UR2.0 ....... Brave and Nolle AG will not allow it

Posted 24 April 2015, 10:32 a.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

Perry is pathetic. Trying to bring the FNM into this crap. It's been 3 years. No more excuses. Sorry excuse for a leader now... muddos....

Posted 24 April 2015, 11:50 a.m. Suggest removal

Major_Pain says...

thats right, the FNM is full of shit.

Posted 25 April 2015, 10:48 p.m. Suggest removal

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