Dems press govt on transparency, spending, public services

The Democratic Labour Party on Monday called on the Mottley administration to account for what it describes as failures in public accountability, transparency, and the management of key state institutions, including the Auditor General’s office and national development projects.

At a press conference at his office on Hincks Street in The City, Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne noted that, at present, there is no appointed auditor general, likening the situation to having no chief justice in the judiciary.

He said: “An office as important as that, that is a watchdog on government spending, is without anyone in charge of that office in a permanent capacity. I’ve met with the Auditor General [Leigh Trotman] before his retirement… and he lamented the shortage of staff.”

He added that the office remains understaffed, despite the government’s extensive spending programme and called on the administration to “immediately fill the office, appoint an auditor general” and “adequately staff that constitutional body”.

Turning to the development of the Newton Enslaved Burial Ground Memorial in Christ Church, Thorne said the DLP would not allow the public to forget the millions of dollars spent on the site, which remains largely unoccupied.

He said: “There’s the dome, admittedly a very beautiful structure when one looks at it from the road, but there’s no accountability. There’s no transparency. We have not been told how much it costs.”

He also referred to an adjacent structure, the National Performing Arts Centre, which he called a “chicken pen”, and raised concerns about construction near the Newton slave burial ground, which has historical significance. Thorne pressed the government to provide cost details, confirm whether the projects went to tender, and disclose the contractors involved.

“We have the physical evidence of lack of transparency, lack of accountability, and wild squander mania,” he said.

Both sites were designed by world-renowned Ghanaian British architect David Adjaye.

The opposition leader then addressed concerns from emergency personnel, including the police, fire, and prison services. Citing petitions from officers, Thorne highlighted complaints regarding promotions and perceived preferential treatment.

He said: “The public service in this country is being disrupted… in relation to the prospects of men and women who have given long years of service and who are sitting and watching supersession occur right under their noses, and it is unfair and not only supersession, but it is based apparently on some measure of favouritism.”