Hon Christopher accuses both NDP & VIP Govts of financial malpractice
Hon. Christopher was at the time speaking to the second paragraph of the Motion of No Confidence tabled in the House during the Tenth Sitting of the Second Session of the Second House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands on July 26, 2013. “I said it fifteen to sixteen years ago and I am still saying it again today,” declared Hon. Christopher.
That section spoke to the Protocol for Effective Financial Management. “Madam Speaker I have had the opportunity of working with both governments on both sides and both governments will tell you that for the years I have been with them this has always been one of my concerns, how we manage the finance of this country,” stated Hon. Christopher.
The member said that on a number of occasions he had stood in the HOA on the issue and when the Framework for Financial Fiscal Responsibility came to light he had argued at that time they should have sat with the United Kingdom (UK) Government and try to reach a solution. “It did not happen,” said Hon. Christopher.
He said after the 2011 general elections, the new government, whether it was too late or not, had sat with the UK Government which resulted in the emerging of what is now called the Protocol. “I said then as is said before and I will say now again, in no way I believe that we were in a position to keep up with what the requirements under the Protocol ask for.” The Second District Representative said that from the onset he had questioned a number of aspects of the Protocol including the issue of effective staffing and the manpower within the system to advise the government according to what the protocol was asking for.
“The protocol was setting you up to fail even though it was making you be accountable but in the long term what it was asking you to do I know this government wasn’t in a position, whether it was the NDP Government or the VIP government in office. [They] could not keep up with what the protocol was asking for,” Hon Christopher said.
The Opposition Member had also said during his presentation that having listened to the mover of the Motion, Member for the Third District Honourable Julian Fraser RA, and the Government’s side as they presented on the motion, he had a difficulty digesting what was presented. “I really find it difficult, difficulties in digesting the information because a lot of the stuff that I hear coming from the debate, over fifteen years in this house I have been saying the same things.”
Speaking to the report that was done on the Treasury, Hon. Christopher said it was an injustice because even though the responsibility of the Accountant General is to monitor the monies coming in and going out of the treasury on behalf of the government and the people, the directives come directly from the Financial Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. “…and that is the problem that I always speak about. Madam Speaker, under our Constitution section 3:2 sets out clearly how monies should be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund.” He said that for many years they have been looking at the Appropriation Act as just a proposed budget and had failed to accept the fact that it’s the law of the land and must be administered in that sense.
He said the power that has always been implemented by the Ministry of Finance was never power given to them by law. “…Power that was always reserved for the House of Assembly…”
Hon. Christopher alleged that both governments have been guilty of a number of other wrong practices, including that of issuing contacts before they came to the House of Assembly. “Madam Speaker these things are wrong,” Hon. Christopher emphasised.
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33 Responses to “Hon Christopher accuses both NDP & VIP Govts of financial malpractice”
A failure. That is what A..n is...a failure. Cearly he is a failure.