And on those good governance measures, the PM outlined all the draft legislation that's been created to protect whistleblowers, reclaim wrongly distributed civil assets, and, finally, to table that manifesto-promised Campaign finance reform Bill.
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Today I signed and sent to the Joint Unions a Letter of Government's Undertakings which sets out in clear and specific detail each and every action our Government is committed to taking along with our Social Partners, including the Unions, to advance our shared commitment to good governance and fiscal sustainability."
"Given the national importance of this matter, I will now share with you the details of these undertakings:
First Good Governance Reform
The Protected Disclosures/Whistleblowers Protection Bill, 2021
The Government fully endorses the need for whistleblowers' legislation to protect from civil, criminal, and disciplinary proceedings persons who report improper conduct such as commission of a criminal offense and conduct that shows gross mismanagement, impropriety, or misconduct in the carrying out of any activity that involves the use of public funds.
To that end, the Government has drafted the Protected Disclosures/Whistleblower Protection Bill, has delivered such draft to the Unions and the business community, and undertakes to the public that upon receipt of comments from the Unions by no later than May 18, 2021, it shall cause to be tabled before the House of Representatives by the end of June 2021 with a view to enactment thereof by the end of July, 2021."
The PM also stated that G.O.B will commit to an audit of the PetroCaribe fund.
We note the timing of the address, which comes on the cusp of meetings tomorrow - where Government hopes there will be a breakthrough and an end of the strike.
And, the PM's good governance performance also coincides with an escalation of the anti union ads on social media by the PUP's political arm - designed to weaken union resolve on the ground and at the negotiating table.
