Opposition demands transparency in government spending

Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne has called for greater transparency in public spending, highlighting concerns over fiscal accountability amid ongoing economic challenges.

In the House of Assembly on Friday during the debate on the Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Bill, Thorne acknowledged the government’s $7 million investment in the fishing industry following the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl last year. But he criticised what he described as a broader failure to adequately account for public spending.

Thorne, who had previously called on the administration to account for a trip undertaken by fisherfolk and government officials to Canada in the aftermath of Beryl to inspect boats for potential importation, reiterated that all government spending should be subject to scrutiny.

He said: “In a country that is in the grips of the IMF, a country that is in the grips of an austerity programme, every trip that is made on land, on sea, or in the air, must be justified. We are not doing this to be malevolent, every modern democracy subjects its public spending to scrutiny. There are no financial sacred cows in this democracy.  

“If this government believes that the people of this country are going to get tired of making that enquiry, over the next few weeks and months, unless this government comes to the people of this country and gives a figure, they are going to have to accuse the people of this country of exhaustion from asking.”

Thorne, who noted that the financial support given to welfare services may not be adequate during this time of economic uncertainty for many Barbadians, stressed that proper oversight of government spending is needed to properly reallocate funds to better support citizens.

He said: “Do as the other modern democracies do. Disclose every last penny of spending; if you believe that the spending is not justified, stop it. If you believe that it is justified, declare it, but you can no longer remain silent on this matter of public spending. If a government finds that a welfare department is underfunded, then the government must look seriously at reallocating public resources.” (SB)