BDA Response to Auditor’s TCD Report
Michael Fahy, Bermuda Democratic Alliance spokesperson for Finance has commented on the Auditor General’s report saying that the TCD Motor Vehicle Safety and Emissions Testing Programme had an initial budgeted cost of $5.3 million, however it ended up costing the taxpayer approximately $10 million more – $15.23 million.
The Premier called the report “strangely timed and inaccurate”, and the Ministry of Transport stated that “it is not accurate to say that what was costed at $5.3 million in 2001/2 cost taxpayers $15 million at completion of the project”.
They say that “no account appears to have been taken for basic increases in the cost of goods and services between the time the project was originally planned and the commencement of construction.”
Mr Fahy’s full statement follows below:
Yet another major capital project has been mismanaged. There has been Ministerial interference. There have been internal control deficiencies. Lessons will supposedly be learned by the Government. Did Government not learn the lessons of Berkeley?
Did Government not learn the lessons from Coco Reef or the BHC scandal? Did Government not learn the lessons from reports made by the then Auditor General when the UBP was in power? How many times does the same lesson need to be learned to get it right? This whole episode stinks.
Surely we are not expected to swallow that rebudgeting from some $5 million to some $15m million was due to inflation? We applaud the Auditor General for examining this debacle and now ask the question – who will be held responsible and held accountable for the screw ups?
Think about it this way – if you were in a private company and there was this much “mismanagement” you would, at a minimum, be fired.”
“It is the BDA’s view that every member of Cabinet is as guilty as the other due to the system of collective responsibility. At the very least there is a huge issue of value for money and it is clear the tax payers of Bermuda have been robbed. There is no money to keep schools open.
There is no money for a purpose built facility for the island’s homeless whose numbers have increased under this administration. There is no money for many many more pressing matters, yet there are apparently plenty of funds available for a “preferred” contractor. Where there is smoke there is fire and based on the Auditor General’s report there are billowing clouds of smoke for all to see.”
“The BDA has said on numerous occasions that better oversight of capital projects is one way to save money. The PLP candidate for Premier Mr Butler has said civil servants and Ministers would be held accountable for such debacles under an administration under his leadership. Mr Lister has said under his leadership it would be Bermuda’s turn. Why the heck is this not the case now? It frankly beggars belief.
Every voter needs to ask this simple question – who has really benefitted from the capital projects undertaken in the last number of years? Will we continue to be fooled by false promises? We simply cannot afford to gloss over this. If we do it will be open season for further poor oversight and terrible administration of the public purse. It is time to wake up!”
Damn straight!! This is as plain spoken as anyone could ask for. More please.