There were no questions or discussion surrounding the fact that the Minister of Finance, the Hon Premier Reuben Meade had sought to take monies budgeted to get the Commissions created under the new 2010 Constitution installed and functioning, to pay garbage collection bills.
The Hon Lowell Lewis only expressed surprise, “…I didn’t realize that so much money had been allocated to it, some $2,736,000 (two million, seven hundred and thirty six thousand dollars) towards an exercise which is almost over, at the end of which we have a piece of paper our Constitution, which requires us to get permission from a British civil servant to implement promises we make to the people who elect us.”
Hon. Premier Reuben Meade
No questions asked, as the Premier presented the last Supplementary Appropriation Bill confirming that Government had owed, according to sources almost $500,000 to the garbage collection services company Diamond Ltd. “
The bill “…provides for expenditure to meet the obligations on the garbage collection contract…I am absolutely certain that everyone will support allocating funds for the garbage collection because as some people say when the parts of the body have an argument certain parts decide to shut off then everybody realize how important it is and garbage collection is one such…” he said.
Former Chief Minister Hon. Dr. Lowell Lewis
The Premier added that “the funds for the garbage contract have been reallocated from the Legislature,” and explained, “these funds were originally allocated to fund the commission secretariat but plans have not progress in this area s expected.”
Concerns and questions now abound from the public that the Commissions have not been installed and nonfunctioning; how could government fall behind on their payment for a service as important as garbage collection?
The entire Supplementary bill as approved in the December 18, 2013 Legislative Assembly sought, “to sanction the amount of nine million, one hundred and seventy four thousand, seven hundred and forty dollars required by departments to cover the development expenditure for a number of infrastructure projects.”
