Opposition Leader On Timing Of Reports
The One Bermuda Alliance said they have “deep concerns” over what they termed the “Government’s repeated failure to meet its legal and governance responsibilities in tabling key national reports,” OBA Leader Jarion Richardson said.
Mr Richardson said, “This morning in the House of Assembly, the Government confirmed that the Annual Report of the Registry General for 2023 and the 2020 Actuarial Reviews of the Public Service Superannuation Fund and the Ministers and Members of the Legislature Pension Fund were tabled months to years past their statutory deadlines.
“In both cases, Ministers acknowledged that ‘something went wrong,’ but offered no plan for remediation or systemic correction to prevent such failures from recurring. In the face of clear governance breakdowns, the Government has chosen complacency over reform.”
“The Premier and his Ministers have admitted failure, but they have refused to act. This is not simply about missed deadlines – it is about accountability. If the Government cannot ensure its core legal obligations are met, what else is being missed? And what else are they refusing to fix?”
“The Registry General’s annual report is to be compiled and published within 90 days of year-end. The 2023 report, however, was tabled over a year late.
“The public, including the Chamber of Commerce, are already complaining that late reports, especially around economic data, are negatively impacting Bermuda.
“The 2020 actuarial reviews—critical for assessing the health of Bermuda’s public pension funds—were completed over four years ago but were only presented to Parliament and the public including people who depend on these funds, today, despite repeated inquiries.
“In both instances, the Government provided no reform, no accountabilities, no timelines and half-hearted promises it won’t happen again, even though two different Ministers are talking to the same failures in two completely different ministries on the same day.”
Mr. Richardson said, “These are not minor procedural errors. They are breaches of legal and fiduciary duty. When a government loses track of its reporting obligations, then refuses to learn from the failure, that is not just administrative oversight—it is a failure of leadership.”
“The Opposition renews its call for:
- The immediate publication of a remedial governance plan covering statutory reporting across all ministries;
- A Cabinet-level review of compliance protocols for legally mandated reports;
- A requirement that any failure to meet statutory obligations be explained in writing to the House of Assembly within 30 days of the breach.
Mr. Richardson said, “The public deserves transparency. The public deserves timeliness. The public deserves better.”
Totally agree with you Mr Richardson! This is negligence and mismanagement.