OPPOSITION Leader Michael Pintard last night questioned the number of official overseas visits the Prime Minister has made since taking office.

Mr Pintard’s questioning came after it was revealed the budget for government international travel has increased by just over $4 million.

Mr Pintard said the need for each person joining a government trip should be established from the outset.

“We certainly acknowledge that there are certain trips that are required by any administration as it seeks to do business on behalf of the country,” he said.

However, he argued the government has not done a good job in explaining if all of those making the trips were “absolutely necessary” based on the specific of objective of that meeting.

“The size of the delegations have been very large and the question is can they justify that each person that is on the trip has a specific purpose that delivers on behalf of the Bahamian people. So they have not given adequate explanation to that.”

“This is what the public pays most of the attention to.

 “You have a good sense of how many technical persons are required to obtain the information required on behalf of the Bahamian or to participate in workshops or panel discussions on behalf of the government.

 “Some trips that the Prime Minister has take, clearly we could see that local diplomats in that general region could have attended on behalf of the government. Some trips don’t require a Prime Minister. Some trips don’t require a minister, but a diplomat who may be based in Europe who can then act on behalf of the government.

 “If you want a good way to measure whether or not Prime Ministers must be present it’s really to look at the corresponding officials from other countries.”

 The opposition leader questioned whether the government clearly prioritized its work.

 “Much needs to happen... is this trip adding value which is a reasonable question to ask in the midst of a hard economic time. Is this trip adding value to what we are trying to accomplish with that particular domestic issue?” he questioned.

 “So, all we want to know is whether or not we are getting a return on the investment because obviously this is a significant investment. This is not as what the government has represented that we don’t appreciate the value of in-person contact - we certainly do. We just want to make sure in the midst of a hard economic period that they’re taking into consideration whether or not it’s the best use of the finances but more importantly their time.”

 Prime Minister Davis himself addressed the issue yesterday saying a distinction needed to be made between the budget for travel and what actually ends up being spent.

 “We don’t know what travels we’ll have in the coming year and until we understand it, it is an allocation. Doesn’t mean that it will be used,” said Mr Davis.

 “The fact that we allocated doesn’t mean that it has to be used. It is there to cover unforeseen travels that may come up.

 “There are certain travels that have to be made by ministers that’s related to their specific portfolios. There are certain travels that I have to make that relates to me as a leader of the country - leaders summit throughout the year that I have to attend and the allocation is to ensure that it is covered.”