If they wanted to solve it bad enough it would have been. COVID and the hurricanes didn't stop them from buying a hotel, looking at the cruise port, the landfill, Shell MOU, Oban, Central bank, sidewalks, digital b$, making shopping bags illegal, and whatever other priorities that they focused on.
They could have appointed a committee, get a State Woks Minister or Parliamentary Secretary, ask Turnquest to allocate the funds, and get begin to look at it.
The answer is simple, it wasn't that big of a priority.
*Good point - however, let me update you on the specifics you may be missing. Government employees are commanded by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry they work for, and he/she is commanded by the Governor General. This is true for all except Finance which is commanded by the Financial Secretary (even though it also has a Permanent Secretary). The PS of Finance is just a figurehead. The Prime Minister (nor any MP) has authority to make/stop any government employee from doing anything. The only thing the PM can do is fire a government employee "in interest of government" - but he can't do that all the time or else the Permanent Secretaries will turn on him. So, the "executive" is not the Cabinet, even though the love the the public to believe that. The Cabinet makes policy and suggest legislation and regulations. They have no executive power. The Parliament (even though many of the same in Cabinet) make Law. The Courts interpret anything in the law which is unclear or which has to be applied to an unforeseen scenario which was not contemplated at the time the law was written, or is suggested to be unconstitutional. What is going on here, however, is the Cabinet thru their "influence" over the Finance Ministry has control over any expenditure by the Legislature (The House & Senate) and the House has not seen fit in over 40 years to provide the House itself with a budget. The Cabinet exercises this influence by refusing to appoint anyone to the position of Financial Secretary (knowing how powerful that position is). We have had an "acting" Financial Secretary since prior to 2010 thru 2 changes in PMs. It is a very slick move by government. They feign democracy by no longer having the PM be the Minister of Finance (like Pindling and Ingraham) - but chopping off the head of finance by not having an FS. Since civics is not taught in our schools, the vast majority of Bahamians do not even know that this is a problem. A problem "unknown" is well hidden. I must give them credit for their craftiness. One has to truly wonder what was the purpose of the Constitutional Reform Commission, and how is it that its members have remained silent for over a decade now.*
"The reality is the Ministry of Finance is a function and whilst the Minister of Finance would be the chief executive officer, the actual executive team which would be his financial secretary, his advisers, the deputy financial secretary report to him."
thps says...
COuld the Tribune speak more to the arragenemnt? if they find oil then what? everyone walks away?
On PM 'totally against' oil drilling in Bahamian waters
Posted 12 December 2020, 7:49 a.m. Suggest removal
thps says...
If they wanted to solve it bad enough it would have been. COVID and the hurricanes didn't stop them from buying a hotel, looking at the cruise port, the landfill, Shell MOU, Oban, Central bank, sidewalks, digital b$, making shopping bags illegal, and whatever other priorities that they focused on.
They could have appointed a committee, get a State Woks Minister or Parliamentary Secretary, ask Turnquest to allocate the funds, and get begin to look at it.
The answer is simple, it wasn't that big of a priority.
On FNM ‘wants to solve Pinewood flooding’
Posted 9 December 2020, 5:06 p.m. Suggest removal
thps says...
9% to be paid back in USD over the next 20 years.
On Bahamasair 'exhausts' $19m annual subsidy
Posted 8 December 2020, 4:33 p.m. Suggest removal
thps says...
Didnt the former Finance Minister dismiss tax increases?
On Governor warns on future tax increases
Posted 7 December 2020, 5:55 p.m. Suggest removal
thps says...
accoridng to JockeyJack
*Good point - however, let me update you on the specifics you may be missing. Government employees are commanded by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry they work for, and he/she is commanded by the Governor General. This is true for all except Finance which is commanded by the Financial Secretary (even though it also has a Permanent Secretary). The PS of Finance is just a figurehead. The Prime Minister (nor any MP) has authority to make/stop any government employee from doing anything. The only thing the PM can do is fire a government employee "in interest of government" - but he can't do that all the time or else the Permanent Secretaries will turn on him. So, the "executive" is not the Cabinet, even though the love the the public to believe that. The Cabinet makes policy and suggest legislation and regulations. They have no executive power. The Parliament (even though many of the same in Cabinet) make Law. The Courts interpret anything in the law which is unclear or which has to be applied to an unforeseen scenario which was not contemplated at the time the law was written, or is suggested to be unconstitutional. What is going on here, however, is the Cabinet thru their "influence" over the Finance Ministry has control over any expenditure by the Legislature (The House & Senate) and the House has not seen fit in over 40 years to provide the House itself with a budget. The Cabinet exercises this influence by refusing to appoint anyone to the position of Financial Secretary (knowing how powerful that position is). We have had an "acting" Financial Secretary since prior to 2010 thru 2 changes in PMs. It is a very slick move by government. They feign democracy by no longer having the PM be the Minister of Finance (like Pindling and Ingraham) - but chopping off the head of finance by not having an FS. Since civics is not taught in our schools, the vast majority of Bahamians do not even know that this is a problem. A problem "unknown" is well hidden. I must give them credit for their craftiness. One has to truly wonder what was the purpose of the Constitutional Reform Commission, and how is it that its members have remained silent for over a decade now.*
On IMF: Four-year haul on COVID recovery
Posted 3 December 2020, 10 a.m. Suggest removal
thps says...
All the best
On Milestone for cruise port
Posted 1 December 2020, 11:22 p.m. Suggest removal
thps says...
plus that was when you could see their faces
On Ground-breaking for new government subdivision
Posted 1 December 2020, 2:58 p.m. Suggest removal
thps says...
I didn't read the artcle since the author started with "According to Wikipedia"
On Why follow the Pope?
Posted 29 November 2020, 4:41 p.m. Suggest removal
thps says...
JokeyJack
Your assessment?
"The reality is the Ministry of Finance is a function and whilst the Minister of Finance would be the chief executive officer, the actual executive team which would be his financial secretary, his advisers, the deputy financial secretary report to him."
On ‘Economy doesn’t sit on one man’s shoulders’
Posted 27 November 2020, 5:33 p.m. Suggest removal
thps says...
So is this a news story or a press release?
On Adrian Gibson helps out schools
Posted 27 November 2020, 5:02 p.m. Suggest removal