Ministry Acknowledges Auditor’s Assessment
The Ministry of Finance said they acknowledge the Auditor General’s assessment of the Covid unemployment benefit programme and said they will incorporate the “recommendations into our approach where a gap has been identified.”
A Government spokesperson said, “The Ministry of Finance acknowledges the Auditor General’s assessment of the unemployment benefit programme.
“As noted in our statement delivered earlier in the year, because of the critical nature of ensuring that funding was provided to these vulnerable persons on a timely basis, there were instances in which there was insufficient time for UEB applications to be completed within the full review and approval process, prior to making payments [in accordance with the UEB Regulations].
“This crisis required the well-being of Bermuda residents to be given the highest priority. We made the necessary decisions to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society had funding for the basic necessities of life and to keep them and their families out of extreme poverty during a time of unprecedented hardship. It was a time when saving lives had to take precedence over rigid adherence to rules for the greater good.
“We will continue our work to strengthen our procedures. We will incorporate the Auditor General’s recommendations into our approach where a gap has been identified.”
The Auditor General’s report follows below [PDF here]:
You can find more information on the links below from our dedicated website BermudaCovid.com, which is the most comprehensive resource and historic record available of Bermuda’s handling of the pandemic.
- All Charts: Vaccine, testing & more here
- Timelines: Dates of major developments here
- Test results: Chart of testing stats here
- Vaccine: Data covering vaccinations here
- Dedicated website: BermudaCovid.com
Sounds like another cog in the wheel
Oh, good gracious, there are so many things wrong with that statement.
The PLP government will incorporate the “recommendations into our approach where a gap has been identified.”
Of course if the PLP Government closes its eyes, no “gap” will ever be “identified” and the PLP government need not pay any attention to the Auditor General’s report.
“because of the critical nature of ensuring that funding was provided to these vulnerable persons on a timely basis, there were instances in which there was insufficient time for UEB applications to be completed within the full review and approval process”
What I read is “because we wanted to buy votes we did not see any reason to comply with the law”
Makes me wonder why people from the top down do not put money away for a rain day.
May be there is no insentive
Are we still living on the premises of “Rich on Friday and Poor on Monday”.
For example may be there are those ,unfortunate individuals who have car payments well after their car wreck goes to the dump.
Leaving out all the Two Bermuda’s “hankey pankey” that is going on out their, call it” Gouging “if you will.
There is not a day that go past where there is always something goes terribly wrong.
If covid is today’s convenient excuse ! what will it be tomorrow ?