Opposition Senator Richard Lewis has said that a memo sent by the Financial Secretary to high-ranking public servants is proof that the government is broke and cannot meet its day to day expenses.
Lewis read from and provided the Senate with copies of the memo during debate on the Tax Administration and Procedure Bill. The bill passed in the Upper House yesterday seeks to improve government tax collection, by streamlining procedures and imposing stiffer penalties for offenders.
“The wheels are falling off the wagon,” Lewis declared.
“The administration is broke and so the tax man cometh with the axe for the poor man,” the United Progressive Party politician added.
He said the memo informed permanent secretaries and others that “the Treasury Department continues to receive increased numbers of expenditure requests which create additional spending, undermine budget targets and consumes critical cash flow.
“In light of the above, ministries and departments are being asked not to incur any new expenditures including commitments or obligations for the next two months (July and August). For commitment, obligations already entered in free balance, these can be processed for payments.
“Any other urgent expenditure requests should be channeled to the office of the financial secretary for approval before the ministry of department incurs the expenditure.
“This suspension of new expenditures for the next two months will allow the Treasury Department to realign revenue resources with the government’s commitments and obligations
“The support of all ministries and departments will be critical in achieving this objective.”
Senator Maureen Payne-Hyman who rose on a point of order said the memo proves “good housekeeping.”
“That could never be a basis for saying that the government is broke. The point is you are misleading the house and everybody,” she said.
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I remembered hearing one of the ABLP Minister said that Antigua and Barbuda was minutes away from a fail states when they took government in 2014. Saying this to say that it was never a fail states under the UPP governing. Now with all the money collecting from tax and the CIP money, this ABLP government having cash flow problem. Where has all these money gone? Could it be most of it went into salaries and wages expenditures? The infrastructure of the country is poorly maintained.
Mary-gene- The infrastructure of the country is not poorly maintained because there was nothing to maintain after the UPP left office in 2014.After telling the world that they spent almost $$1billion on roads around an 108 Sq mile Island,there was not one good road found when the ABLP came into office.The ABLP is now building and repairing all roads,in some instances full concrete..Richard Lewis with his outright hypocrisy about people been hungry,just sounded like an Idiot.. The more the UPP try to tell people that the skies are falling when we look and all we see are the clouds ,the more they appear as jokers without a plan..You cannot make your own truth.Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinions,but certainly not to your own facts..
It went into paying back all the money UPP borrowed and wasted.
Meanwhile Shawn is interceding for Observer (the only independent media house in Antigua). If observer is independent, the sky is pink.
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