The House of Assembly’s Opposition – led Public Accounts Committee has launched an extensive investigation into the alleged mismanagement of funds budgeted for last year’s Summer Youth Employment Programme.
The parliamentary committee is systematically meeting with the permanent secretary in every government ministry to determine if the money allocated for the government sponsored program benefited those for whom it was intended.
The investigation stemmed from a complaint lodged in the House of Assembly by High Rock MP, Kenneth Russell.
Said PAC Chairman, Brent Symonette: “The Public Accounts Committtee has received a complaint from a Member of Parliament as to the management and the handling of the Summer Youth Employment Program, especially as it relates to the island of Grand Bahama.”
Calling his committee a parliamentary “watchdog,” the Member of Parliament for Montagu said the PAC is taking the matter “very seriously.”
“We need to make sure that all monies allocated by Parliament are spent correctly and properly and in the manner for which they were appropriated,” Mr. Symonette said.
“As such the PAC is looking to the question of funding in the program as it relates to Grand Bahama and a number of other family islands. We intend to report to the House of Assembly in short order. We take this very seriously.”
Among those questioned were the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, the Auditor General and the financial secretary.
Mr. Russell has asked Prime Minister Perry Christie to disclose the total amount of public funds budgeted for the program and the exact amount spent in each island. Additionally, he wanted to know the names and positions of all government officers responsible for selecting the program’s participants.
“Parents called me and other MP’s complaining over the fact that their children were asked to circle their names in red, those who were PLP. Others called to say that they had to go to a private law firm in order to get an application for employment,” Mr. Russell told the Bahama Journal Friday.
“Information coming to us indicated that there were very high salaries paid out in Grand Bahama. Some persons were paid almost $100 an hour and some were paid who did not work.”
The High Rock MP noted that last year the government spent some $70,000 in Grand Bahama to run the program.
The government, he said, did not change any of the guidelines regarding the distribution of funds.
Said Mr. Russell: “The parliamentary secretary in the office of the Prime Minister, Anne Percentie decided that she would run the program all by herself, deciding she did not want anyone else involved with it. Therefore I decided I would keep an eye on it myself and there were a number of things that caused me some grave concern.”
He claimed that Ms. Percentie’s Pineridge constituency received the lions share of the money to the detriment of other Grand Bahama communities.
Tosheena Blair, The Bahama Journal
