PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE ON A FOOL’S ERRAND

On Tuesday past 20 June 2023, the Public Accounts Committee, headed by the Leader of the Opposition Michael Pintard summoned the public officials from the  Ministry of the Public Service to Parliament.  That Ministry is responsible for the accommodation of government offices and Mr. Pintard and his FNM friends wanted to see the files relating to a building which the government is renting, owned by a public servant through a company.  They were looking for dirt where there was none.  Minister for the Public Service told Hubert Minnis, the former Prime Minister when he raised the matter in the House that the whole process was above board and at arm’s length and the law and the regs were followed to the T.  That did not stop Michael Pintard from calling in the officials.  Turns out that renting the building will accomplish major savings.  Oh yeah, everything was above aboard but we reminded Michael Pintard how the FNM Cabinet allowed the former Prime Minister when he was Minister of Health to rent a building he owned to himself as Minister of Health. And that when the PLP came to power in 2021, they found a lease that paid out some 2 million dollars for a building that was not being used by the government. Of course, the PLP canceled the lease.