OBA’s De Couto On Budget, Transparency, More
“With hundreds of millions of dollars in Corporate Income Tax about to flow into Government’s hands, accountability is no longer optional — it is essential,” Shadow Finance Minister Douglas De Couto said.
Dr De Couto said, “This Friday the Premier will present the Government’s Budget. We expect it will be filled with promises, fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars of Corporate Income Tax. The question is, will Government deliver those promises? The current track Government track record is terrible, from bad healthcare, and failed education reform to fewer local jobs and poor road conditions. Given the huge amounts involved in the CIT, Bermudians demand and deserve accountability for how their CIT money is spent.
“Unfortunately this PLP Government routinely dodges accountability, even when legally required! Here are three examples from Parliament where the Government has failed to meet the basic standards of accountability.
“First, we have repeatedly asked Government in Parliament for details of the CIT. Details like how many companies are paying CIT? Will only a few companies pay most of it? And what industries are paying the lion’s share of CIT? This information is vital to make good decisions about how to handle the CIT, and to assess the Government’s plans. But Government has repeatedly refused to answer. We’ll ask again – let’s see if Government finally steps up.
“Second, we asked months ago with Parliamentary Questions for a list of Government MPs and Senators who have contracts and Government pay outside of their MP and Senator jobs. Government has dodged this question for two Parliamentary sessions in a row, let’s see if they finally come clean this Friday.
“Third, The Premier has failed to produce his report on the Premier and Ministers’ staff as required by law, since 2020. We formally requested these reports in December, and hope they show up as promised this Friday as well. But Government shouldn’t need to be reminded to follow the law.
“One other things we will be looking for is how the Government supplies the Budget Book data. The Premier and his Ministers boast of digital transformation projects, but this Government has continued to supply the Budget Book as a 380-page printout that MPs lug around all month. Does this sound like a Government that’s serious about digitization? When we asked for a digital Budget Book last year, Government refused. We’ve asked again this year, let’s see what happens on Friday.
“If Government truly believes in transparency and good governance, this Friday is the moment to prove it.”
The CIT is a windfall. Free money. The Government has done nothing to deserve it or earn it.The Government believes in the Toothfairy.
The CIT money, should be used for debt reduction. Nothing else. Not travel. Not new cars. Not MP raises. Not MP benefits. PLP debt reduction.