The government has introduced a new format to debating the 2019 Appropriations Bill. Ministers of the respective ministries and support staff will be questioned by members of parliament. It is early days how the new format will improve government, however, it must be said that hearing directly from government officials is a refreshing change from the annual humdrum of ministers spouting tired talking points.
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Puff Enuff
Now you speak to me sweetie. Give me a little snippet of what is this Public Finance Management Bill 2019 will entail. I hope you taking note that my bone of contention on here, you lil ole rascal you, is about protecting the finances of Barbados from crooked seasoned politicians. That has always been the SSS mission. So understand me, sweetie, that when it good it good and it wrong it wrong. I am still not going to let up on Rouge-Works until I see the same level of transparency throughout the public sector and those who break the financial rules see the inside of prison. That is rightful justice for me and a move that would my respect to the fullest is Rogue-Works shows clearly that she ain’t mekking sport wid a boy.
By the way, can you give me some insight into why she would suffer the little people 3 million in welfare knowing that welfare dependents will increase under austerity, and saw the wisdom in taking care of her consultants with 20 million?. Don’t take long to get to ma, a waiting pun you, Puffy.
Puff Enuff
Hope you understand what I wrote, I just realise that it is missing a lot of words haha haha
MY Sweet PIece
I am going to get my boys to check this website. Will get back to you on rather she has a hidden track bot in there masked under the click to access button
One thing about bizzy he put his interest first
Cant help but remember his big proposal called Red Jet with what turned out to be under cover scam artist trying to nip away at the taxpayers pocket books
@ William 7.45am
A big part of the problem is the group think, the apparent inability to think outside the narrow world of DLP and BLP. Some people seem not to be able to separate the floss from the reality, that is the regurgitation of what one has been taught – learning by rote.
What is needed is an ability to interrogate policy proposals, to ask searching questions. The conclusions may not be the right ones, but in the process we will all learn a lot more – critical thinking. That is the contribution that BU can make to future generations.
$SirFuzzy (Former Sheep) February 19, 2019 7:55 PM “Moving bus fares to 4.00 will be a bitter pill to swallow for those that need to use the bus exclusively. If you are unfortunate to require 20 bus rides in a five day work week you looking at a $80.00 budget or roughly $352.00 a month for a 22 working day month.”
Indeed.
I am wondering if the increase should not be spread out among as many people as possible.
Perhaps raise the age limit for seniors to benefit from “free” busfare from 65 to 67.
Or eliminate “free” bus fares for seniors entirely. All people over 67 receive at least $900 per month. If seniors take the bus twice per week I don’t think that it is too much to ask them to pay $8 total for those two trips per week.
Means testing can be expensive and difficult to administer, but perhaps we need to means test for school children. Only those who can’t afford to pay will receive ‘free” bus fare. The others can pay $1 per trip. Perhaps a pass for school children so that even if they need to take two buses to go to school, they pay only $2 per day.
And the transport should sell weekly/monthly/even quarterly and annual passes. That way the Board will have some money upfront and that money should be in interest bearing accounts.
Since the transport sector is currently heavily cash based to need to look hard to see whether all of that cash is going directly into the Board’s accounts of if some is being stolen/misappropriated.
@ Simple,
Good reasoning, but do not agree with you.
From what i am hearing on the ground that govt has once again used Parliament to demonstrate a dog and pony show with civil servants used as the go to whipping boys /gals a process used to remove full responsibility off govt errors made in govt policies and decision making
What govt seems to forget that the people elected them to govern and not those in charge in running the affairs of the Civil service
Yes it is a managerial duty to answer to those in charge
However the buck finally stops at the hands of govt
I see this display of parade of govt officers as a defensive move put in place by govt in case BERT policies does not sufficiently meets all targeted
A move which would take the crticism off Govt and be placed on the civil servants
@ Mariposa,
it is not only a flawed policy, but a cowardly one. Civil servants are not responsible for policy, politicians are. Putting civil servants in front of the public in this way to humiliate them. It is brutal. Politicians make the decisions and must face the music. It is another case of make it up as you go along and will end in tears.
Barbados is a failed state.
Sir Simple Simon
Some information for you to consider.
Senior citizens, police officers, school children and certain members of the disabled community are allowed “free travel” on TB buses.
However, TB is reimbursed the cost of this “free travel” by the Welfare Department, Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Education respectively.
As it relates to your suggestion re: “the Transport (Board) should sell weekly/monthly/even quarterly and annual passes,” I remember when John Boyce was Transport Minister, he said government was looking to introduce that system…….. and TB bought fare boxes that could accommodate these passes. I also remembered watching a CBC TV news item which showed Boyce actually boarding a TB bus and demonstrating how the proposed passes would be used.
However, I have not heard anything about the proposal since that time.
Re the new approach
According to someone in the know prior to the Estimates being debated in the H of A OWEN used to grill the top mandarins of each Ministry/Dept. on how they reached their figures etc. and they would be forced to defend them. What Mia has done is more of the same albeit in a public setting. The absence of an Opposition makes the whole event a bit anti climatic but that’s the way the cookie crumbles
@Sargeant
Note the public servants have been addressing technical questions, the minister has been taking the policy questions.
The challenge with this format, is it ONLY exists because there is no opposition to ask questions.
It is unsustainable. The day there is ONE true opposition member, it will cease.
Imagine the field day, if prior to May 2018, Mr.Carrington, formerly head of the NIS had to face opposition questions about what was transpiring within his organization? It would never have happened.
Imagine four years of soft ball questions e.g the one posed to Kay to which she responded about the 4 million wasted on “smart ID cards”. Minister Jordan knew the answer as l’m sure that came up in a Cabinet meeting but cue the dramatics and all is revealed in the Estimates.
Snuff to give some people an orgasm.
“According to someone in the know prior to the Estimates being debated in the H of A OWEN used to grill the top mandarins of each Ministry/Dept. on how they reached their figures etc. and they would be forced to defend them.”
Sargeant
This practice is the norm. Before the Estimates are debated in Parliament, the Heads-of-Departments and “bookkeepers” of every SOE and departments in each Ministry meet with the ministry’s senior bookkeeper” and subsequently with the respective minister, “senior bookkeeper” and permanent secretary to discuss the “draft estimates.”
After revision of the draft is made and the estimates are prepared, a meeting is held with the PM, who, as you mentioned, “grilled the top mandarins of each Ministry/Dept. on how they reached their figures etc. and they would be forced to defend them.”
It is also the norm for heads of departments and “bookkeepers” of each Ministry to attend the Parliamentary debate when the estimates of their respective ministries are being debated.
Although, as David BU mentioned, “the public servants have been addressing TECHNICAL questions (“bookkeepers” prepare the estimates, not the minister), (while) the minister has been taking the POLICY questions,” I have some difficulty with the new format.
Why has govt not been accountable to the people as to who govt gace tax waivers
Why has there not been a list of names placed in the govt official Gazette for public viewing
After all it is the tax revenue which is payable to govt that has been lost and must be recovered in one shape or form
@Sargeant
We have to agree it is a format that lends to a more rigorous examination of the assumptions used to inform the estimates. To suggest it will change if there is a more rigorous Opposition is slightly unfair? Damn if you damn if you dont?
If govt allocates. 1000 thousand dollars to a ministry
The Manager in charge of the dept is answerable to the Minister in Charge of said dept who in turn gives all forwarding details to the PM
The exhibition of heads of govt depts served no purpose except to activate a pretentious form of politricks as for one most of the public would have been at work or those unemployed would have served their time better looking for jobs rather than viewing
The Minister in charge if he knows his job would be able to spot areas of spending that are flawed and wasteful and does not attribute on contribute fiscally or economically to proper goverence when the Head of the dept present all viable paper work to him
@David
I am not critiquing the format but as NO observed it may be difficult to sustain permanently. I just have some issues with the “eureka” answers as I am averse to wool being pulled over my eyes
S/B
Criticizing not critiquing
Many hands make light work.
How many people needed to screw in a light bulb ? Four. A Minister. A Minister in the Ministry. A Permanent secretary and a consultant.
@Sargeant
Understand your cynicism, we will know when tested next year based on deliverables not delivered or if it is discontinued without good reason. Some of us have guardedly applauded the willingness to change. Bear in mind public officials are meant to attend PAC meetings, NOT in camera.
@Mariposa February 19, 2019 10:06 PM “cow tonguing”
CORRECTION: kowtowing=act in an excessively subservient manner.
Nothing to do with the tongue of a bovine.
@Hants
We have discussed many times in this forum that one has to separate the political rhetoric of the campaign trail with what is required to govern.
Who is going to address the public when it comes to economic policy, or crime or education policy? When it comes to regional and foreign policy, who is going to explain to the public the government’s indecision on Venezuela? Will government be able to pass the blame off to the technocrats or civil servants?
By the way, are the technocrats also in the dock or just the humiliated civil servants?
I do nit not perceive or envision any thing of real importance coming from this parade
So what is the relevance of having the auditor general reports
Meaning that is where all the questions are asked and to whom PM needs to be asking the questions to those heads of depts as well as questioning the Ministers in charge of those depts for the inefficiencies
It does not take a bolt of lightning to pinpoint with precision strikes where the efficiencies are and who is to blame
@Artax February 20, 2019 2:21 PM “Senior citizens, police officers, school children and certain members of the disabled community are allowed “free travel” on TB buses. However, TB is reimbursed the cost of this “free travel” by the Welfare Department, Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Education respectively.”
A Simple question: But are these payments actually made?
@Artax February 20, 2019 2:21 PM As it relates to your suggestion re: “the Transport (Board) should sell weekly/monthly/even quarterly and annual passes,” I remember when John Boyce was Transport Minister, he said government was looking to introduce that system…….. and TB bought fare boxes that could accommodate these passes. I also remembered watching a CBC TV news item which showed Boyce actually boarding a TB bus and demonstrating how the proposed passes would be used. However, I have not heard anything about the proposal since that time.”
A comment: I suspect that significant leakage of cash has been taking place at the Transport Board for many, many decades, through both administrations. And if this leakage has been occurring is it any wonder that there is resistance to the use of technology which might make it more difficult for such leakage to occur?
@Artax February 20, 2019 8:10 AM “the usual excuses such as, the number of children people have”
The number of children is not an excuse. It is an economic reality.
And remember this administration as well as the previous one, wants Bajans to have more children.
If people do have more children, does it the make sense for government policy to penalise them for doing so?
@David February 19, 2019 5:57 AM “The kicker was hearing that transport board employee role of 550 plus is meant to serve a fleet of 300 plus rolling fleet, it hardly gets to 80 these days.”
This morning on Brass Tacks, Linda Holder of the Transport Board revealed that there were 47 buses available as of 7:30 this morning. Someone had complained that some children who have to go to school in St. Joseph were still at bus stops in St. Micheal at 9:50 a.m.
@David February 19, 2019 5:57 AM “transport board employee role of 550 plus is meant to serve a fleet of 300 plus rolling fleet, it hardly gets to 80 these days. The last government did not buy one single bus yet the subsidy, transfer, loans kept increasing. The TB is a place where both parties dump party faithfuls. Who got to pay in the end you ask?”
So if the subsidies, transfers and loans were designed to serve a fleet of 300, why has the Board been receiving the same amount of transfers, loans and subsidies when the fleet as of this morning is 47.
And why does the Board have a staff of 550 if the rolling stock is only 47, and when much of the repair work is contracted out?
Since the Board receives tax money, and subsidy money from all of us can somebody please tell me what those 550 people do all day, especially as the Transport Board does not have a single 24 hour service. When all services terminate between 9 p.m. and midnight.
And don’t tell me that I am too simple to understand, or too old and too foolish to understand.
This morning on Brass Tacks as well I noticed that Ms. Holder was unable or unwilling to answer the question on the size of the Transport Board staff.
“And why does the Board have a staff of 550 if the rolling stock is only 47, and when much of the repair work is contracted out?”
Sir Simple Simon
A very good question.
The last fleet of buses were bought in 2006.
If in 2014 units available per day decreased to 80 from 150 in 2012 and subsequently unit availability varied consistently between 50 and 40 up to early 2018….. and several TB employees, including drivers, were retrenched in 2014. Assuming no drivers were hired during the last 9 months……….how come the employee count is 550.
I don’t know the answer Artax. I have never worked for the Transport Board. But Ms. Holder is PAID by the Board and is its spokesperson, and “how many employees?” is a pretty basic question.
Why was she unable to answer the question?
OR
Why was she unwilling to answer the question?
This format works in Trinidad. They go through line item by line item. We just like to talk. Know it all Hal talking all over his face. I haven’t seen anyone asked a civil servant about policy. It is a good thing Mr.Austin ain’t an Oxbridge graduate, it would be cat piss and pepper on BU.
Copy cat
Not one orginal idea. The same fuck..ery bajan household having to go through
Yea it work there so try it here
Not one orginal idea
Govt has ministers who are in charge of dept
At the end of the day the people want to hear from the Minister not a Dept Head who seemingly govt would throw under the bus to cover the Minister a.ss
This dog and pony show is an up in the face front to place all blame on govt Heads leaving the Ministers unscathed
Bet yuh bottom dollar that this pretentious magical show would not amount to anything that is beneficial to the fiscal efficiency of any dept.
The Minister is for whom the people and must be held accountable for any defecits within his Ministry
Not gonnna hold all civil services Head accountable while Minister is relaxed on his duties to the people
Transparency yes Accountabilty yes but right across the board starting at the very top first
@Enuff
it will be interesting to see if when the Auditor General’s report is released in July 2019, the same ‘in camera’ gathering is deployed to answer questions relevant to the AG’s findings.
“I haven’t seen anyone asked a civil servant about policy.”
Enuff
Excellent!!!
But that should be expected from us, since we are all appallingly ignorant and regurgitate what we are told because we learnt by rote.
And Enuff, even if someone does not agree the new format, but they understood it, would you believe they would ask the following question?:
“So what is the relevance of having the auditor general reports?”
You could image the reaction if this appallingly ignorant, intellectual fraud paranoid bookkeeper had asked that silly question.
It’s NOT what is written, it’s about WHO wrote it.
@ac
“At the end of the day the people want to hear from the Minister not a Dept Head”
speak for YOURSELF.
I would LOVE to hear from senior civil servants.
So we have a new format. They are those among us that like it a lot to those that dont like it at all.
My fundamental question is this. After the presentation of the estimates are completed. What is doing to transpire in the individual ministries? Will be the same ole same ole?
We await the next episode in the “govt soap opera”. I just hope it not just another PR stunt.
Wuh dah
Mariposa speaks for self.
Yardfowls will never be agents of change.
@Mariposa February 20, 2019 6:24 PM “At the end of the day the people want to hear from the Minister not a Dept Head.”
@Mariposa February 20, 2019 6:54 PM “Mariposa speaks for self.”
If you are speaking for yourself you should have written “At the end of the day the Mariposa wanst to hear from the Minister not a Dept Head”
Like Northern Observer “I [too] would LOVE to hear from senior civil servants.”
52 years after independence:
Public Transport: mess
Sanitation: mess
Sewage : mess
Markets: mess
Stadium: mess
Agriculture :mess
Economy:mess
Roads: mess
Now how can any right thinking citizen have confidence in the BLPDLP that have governed this country exclusively in the last 52 years ?
No amount of senseless posts can remove the facts stated above. In both government and opposition these two parties have behaved as if the island is their private plantation.
Now the amazing spectacle that citizens are not invited to ask their representatives publicly when any of the above will be fixed. But civil servants are in parliament answering questions concerning their jobs.
A true test would have been to have citizens publicly televised asking simple questions such as : What will the outflow of sewage into the ocean do to the marine environment?
Exactly how many lay offs can we expect?
When is the current assets of MPs going to be made public?
Are any former ministers suspected of corruption?
If so why has it not been made public?
And then we may talk of a new format .
It’s theatre!!!!!
David
Yardfowls would never be agent for change
””’—””””””””””””
Speak fuh yuhself
@ William,
I could not have said it better if I tried.
Yeap another form of media circus without the media being invited
Lets go for the jugluar
The people would like seeing the low tier fall out which then leaves the top tier to stand high and mighty with majesty and power sending a message to public “dont mess with us”
The staged drama in public has many messages but the one which compells the most is to strike fear in the hearts of the civil servants resulting in their cowardice to defy govt when need arises
In other words shame and and being placed in the public square is enough to keep the civil servants shaking in their boots leaving the most pivitol questioned unanswered
When will govt respond to the piercing eyes and wanting to know ears of the people who elected them
@ Hal
The theatre is on par with the comedy of the apologists (BLPDLP) on BU.
Education : mess
Security: mess
Judicial System: mess
I did think of citizens sending in questions by e-mail but then I dismissed it.
@Comrade Hal
Can you give us an update on what is happening with your Labour party in the UK?
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