Earlier you heard Prime Minister Said Musa's plan to radically revamp the way public funds are managed and handled. While Musa's 12-step plan to restore credibility and accountability to public finances might look good on paper, her majesty's loyal opposition thinks it's political baloney. UDP party whip Michael Finnegan says reforming public finance won't take new laws, it will require a new outlook. Finnegan says we don't need new laws because we already have the laws; it's the political will and independence that is lacking.
Michael Finnegan, UDP Party Whip
"Most of those things are already in place to safeguard the integrity of our economy and the integrity of our finances. What you need to do is to change the outlook and the mentality of those who are governing in Belmopan to safeguard the interests of this country. What they are doing is hogwash. The government is placed right now in a bind and they need to come to the people because there is a lot of pressure out here to do the right thing and the government is coming up with all these hogwash in order to save face but there are already enough mechanisms in place in order to safeguard these things.
"Like the seeking of permission from the National Assembly to borrow $10 million or more. You don't have to seek permission from the National Assembly, PUP control the National Assembly so they will get that through the House. Let us put in place that if you are going to borrow the money, you need to get ¾ of the House in agreement for the government to borrow this money. In other words, the government will have to explain to different representatives and lobby them for support: 'Please lend me your support. This money is a, b, c, d, e, f. I will show you how it will benefit your division and I will show why you should support this bill etc. So to talk about taking it to the House when you are borrowing more than $10 million for approval, there is no mechanism in place to safeguard nothing. That is hogwash, hogwash!"
Another proposal or recommendation is for contracts to be approved by the Senate. Your view on that?
Michael Finnegan,
"The contract I was told will be vetted by the Contractor General and he will make recommendations who ought to be given contracts. Am I correct? And then that will have to go to the Senate for its approval. My friend the senate is controlled by the PUP government; and they have the majority of the Senators. So you don't need to go to Technical to know that whatever Swift approves, will go through the Senate because the government controls the Senate. What you need is a system put in place where the majority of the Senators are not made up of appointees of the ruling party."
On Friday, the Opposition will unveil its position on the Prime Minister's proposal for members of the National Assembly to take a 10% salary cut.
