UPDATE: Getting rid of $12m with treasury closed is tall order – Hon Julian Fraser, RA
It was the occasion of the Third Sitting of the Third Session of the Second House of Assembly held on December 17, 2013 when Hon Fraser made the observation as he was debating the motion that was passed in the House of Assembly for the withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund of some $99,576,333 in respect of the recurring budget, $7,143,600 to fund approved capital projects and $4,000,000 to put into the Reserve Fund.
Hon Fraser made it emphatically clear that he cannot agree with Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith on having $60m in the Reserve Fund. “I don’t understand the rationale, what is the British Government going to do to you at the end of 2015 December 31st, if you do not become compliant, what they can do to you if you don’t have $60m in reserve?” questioned Hon Fraser.
Honourable Fraser was passionately venting his feelings about the NDP government’s desperate effort to up the Reserve Fund and alleged “…the only reason the Premier could want to become compliant is so that he could borrow money.”
According to the Third District Representative, becoming compliant can only have the objective of being able to have monies approved without having to go to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
The actions of the government, Hon Fraser said, are putting undue strain on small businesses who he claimed have found themselves hiding from employees and others they owe monies to because of the government’s tardiness in paying up. He added that some are even contemplating closing their businesses.
“I am pleased to hear the Premier say that he has $12m in the treasury of unpaid vouchers and that he will pay them off.” said Hon Fraser. The premier had made a commitment to have the vouchers paid off by the end of the year but according to Honourable Fraser, he does not see how that could be possible.
“He made a promise that he is going to pay them off before the end of the year that is going to be a tall order because I understand that the treasury is somehow closed. Unless he has a secret as to how it’s going to get done…” said Hon Fraser.
See previous story posted December 19, 2013:
Premier negotiated himself 'into a box' with Protocol – Hon. Fraser
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – “I am surprised that the Premier get up and did not offer an explanation as to why we are here with a provisional budget. We had ample time…,” said Representative for the Third District Honourable Julian Fraser, RA, at the Tuesday December 17, 2013 sitting of the second House of Assembly.
Honourable Fraser gave his deep thoughts about the motion that was nonetheless passed in the House of Assembly for the withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund of some $99,576,333 in respect of the recurring budget, $7,143,600 to fund approved capital projects and $4,000,000 to put into the Reserve Fund.
The motion was moved by Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, and according to Hon. Fraser, Premier Smith should return to the negotiating table on aspects of the Protocol for Effective Financial Management since he has found himself "in a box". He has also pledged his full support should the Premier make such a move.
According to Hon. Fraser, circumstances surrounding the matter have caused him to speculate. “I can only speculate that because of this protocol, and in particular this medium term fiscal plan that is spelt out in the Protocols, to have the secretary of state approve it some three months before the time in which it is suppose to be submitted that forces the Premier to come with a budget in 2014 instead of having it done in 2013.”
Hon. Fraser said the government of the day had said he was wrong when he had debated the Protocol document saying it was going to be very difficult to adhere to the provisions of the document. Hon. Fraser added it was his view that the Protocol document was forced down the throats of the NDP Government.
“.. because it was the same thing they were trying to do, same thing with the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility… they in debt, the United Kingdom is in debt and the borrowing money, call it what you want, selling bonds is borrowing money… we can’t,” said the ever vocal Third District Representative.
“But day after day, every day, in every process, in every procedure we are find ourselves doing exactly what we have done in the past, nothing has changed,” he added.
According the Hon Fraser, since the NDP Government took office following the 2011 elections and with the coming into being of the Protocols for Effective Financial Management which was signed on April 23, 2012 there was an implemented mission which meant "business as usual" was no more.
“I can accept a provision of general award or a provisional budget in 2011… but the things that I am talking about as business as usual as being not presenting a budget or passing a budget the prior year for the upcoming year,” said Hon. Fraser.
He also outrightly objected to the processes of contract splitting and the circumventing of the tender and procurement processes. “These are things that are in this document (Protocol), almost engraved in stone as part of good governance and transparency,” he noted.
Premier Smith told the Honourable House that Government has to do whatever is necessary to stimulate the economy and that he has no apologies for doing whatever he thinks is necessary to bring the country back on track.
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26 Responses to “UPDATE: Getting rid of $12m with treasury closed is tall order – Hon Julian Fraser, RA”
If NDP are breaching the protocols why aren't they being punished for it? As the saying goes "If everybody supplying and nobody buying......one of these £$%%^ lying!"
The last time they brought it in before the end of December the rejoicing and self congratulating could be heard in Trinidad!
Every time the Government tries to inject, the people say NO! Stop talking s..t please. People here don't want Government to inject money in the economy, they wanted injected up their ass, i.e. their back pocket! That's the problem. All the crying is about "me me me" not about country. There are major projects that could've been started thereby circulating monies but the people don't want it because they can't get their cut out of it directly.
DUUUUUUUUUUUH.