Editorial: April 1, 2016
With all the shenanigans and posturising from several quarters, surrounding the 2016/17 budget presentations, they all are coming from agendas that having little or nothing to do with the welfare, economically and otherwise of the people of Montserrat.
The reasons we can suggest are all an attempt at covering the disgraceful and in some cases the inept behavior of our leaders to include those who must oversee and choose to deliver opinions. These are strong and some would say unkind words, admittedly, but it is all no more than the continuation of more of the same that have gone on before and an active government who for reasons of their own, not unknown, but in a corrupt tangled way, refuse to lay the bare honest facts before its people.
The result of all this is that DFID (Department for International Development), the UK government sit back, look on, and laugh, as some of us disrespect the honour of our ‘honourable’ Assembly and our status being subjects and a territory/colony of the United Kingdom (UK). Meanwhile, instead of dignifying themselves and acting with integrity, they (we) fail to recognize the failures of the past, rather than expose them in a way that would embarrass the ignorant and the ostriches.
Anyone who listened to some of the statements made at the press briefing following the DFID/budget talks, described as financial aid talks, and did not realise that the budget could not have been more than as presented, was not and would not be in a position to debate or discuss anything having to do with it.
There were nice words thrown around, but the tone of the Premier was a give-away, his regret that projects could not have been further-on; and the hesitating response of the DFID team leader that there were challenges from both sides of the table in coming up with their final decisions or during the discussions.
We reported in our February 12 2016 issue, that ‘the Government will be faced with a reducd budget allocation’ for the next financial year, the Premier saying, “…but it is in our position right now to make sure that we clear up the bottlenecks that have been preventing jobs getting on the ground…”
The Premier gave every indication that he was not happy with the situation as it stood. He referred to ‘the’ “newly established partnership,” which he says, “is geared towards new results,” explaining, “British policy states with regards to Montserrat that they will provide the majority of funds for infrastructure that will lend to the growth in our economies; that will help us to stand on our own two feet; and that is a commitment I expect to hold Her Majesty’s Government to.”
Meanwhile the DFID team was saying how impressed they were with the ‘talks.’ “I have to say how impressed I have been and my team have been with the Government of Montserrat’s preparation for these budget discussions. They have come with a budget that’s been realistic, that’s been thought through, that’s thorough and detailed and very cost cutting,” the team leader Miss Moira Marshall said.
What continues to be lacking is the reason that after an impressive 2015/16 budget presentation, considering it was their first, there is really no explanation from the a turmoiled PDM government. A government being taunted within and without aided by an indifferent public service, that invoked the comment of the new Governor who spoke of their attitude and now discovering that there is an undesirable ‘mindset ‘.
This put the burden squarely on the Premier and his ministers who need to enquire into their own attitudes and ‘mindsets’, doing what they haven’t done yet. The Premier, understanding his authority, and all their responsibility. It is obvious that their needs to be some drastic and corrective actions.
