Note that your ace investigator has ever been known to tread carefully, but, a large part of the AudG [Auditor General Report] lack of audits stems from many years from 2008 on, when several of these public bodies never filed a single annual report. The backlog was huge, and some like the Urban Development Corporation has apparently decided “forget them”, and have gone ahead with ’18-20, even though 07-17 remain outstanding. The solution is you fire the senior employees who had responsibility for such reports, withhold pensions for cause, and let them counter sue for wrongful dismissal and explain to a court, not some two bit enquiry, WHY the reports were not filed. But dat cant happen here in dis country, Dat is some stinkin’ colonial construct called accountability.
BU Commenter NorthernObserver
A new Barbados Labour Party (BLP) government same shitty comments written by the Auditor General Report. In 2018 the Public Finance Management Act was passed to attempt to hold state agencies accountable for up-to-date financial statements. Joke, the government of Barbados have been ignored by the majority of state agencies if the recent Auditor General Report is read. What is the purpose of enacting legislation that is useless to adding value to a process?
The blogmaster took the opportunity to reread the 2018 BLP Manifesto and Covenant of Hope documents in which all manner of grandiose promises are to be found about improving the public service. Three years later if we are to measure the success of public sector reform by the financial indiscipline and malfeasance reflected in the Auditor General’s recent report, another F is easily scored.
Time to fire seniors public servants who head these agencies for non performance. Let us start with the Director of the NIS.
Either that or make the position of auditor general redundant thereby saving the country the expense of his office as apparently it serves no purpose. Unfortunately if we did that we would also be called upon to justify many of the ministers and their offices. Ah well, let the music play on.
Thirteen years ago the same auditor general was saying more or less the same thing.
https://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2008/03/27/website-of-barbados-auditor-general-puppy-to-shut-down/
Nobody would be fired
Keep dreaming
Incompetence is this govt trademark
But this is said govt has being rmanaging on saving money to pay debt
Hence the level of Incompetence would drop in part to down sizing of many of govt agencies
Mia cannot have it both ways
Trying to pay the IMF and being able to produce stellar government performance when there are not enough hands to do an adequate job
This is a govt problem implemented by govt policies that needs immediate correction
When I assumed the post of Administrative Manager Student Revolving Loan Fund in 2000, the last audit report was for 1998, the property loan system had crashed, the operating platform was DOS, loan balances were recorded on a card system and in the main inaccurate. Working in the Fund’s favour was that in absence of loan statements borrowers didn’t pay which made tracking payments a little easier. It was a challenge identifying policies, then procedures before the off the shelf loan package could be reprogrammed to produce statements. Working papers with supporting documentation were then produced with fifteen (15) financial statements prepared & signed off by the financial auditors & audits of current years done by the Audit Office.
It was challenging to maintain daily operations while changing information technology & producing financial statements.
Threatening public servants gratuity & pension because of perceived non performance is a mark of incompetent bosses & limited vision. I faced the same threat because of exemplary performance. It’s always wise to get to the root cause of issues.
@groslyn
What is the role and responsibility of the PS? Especially in the budget planning and allocate process? If adequate funds are not available what are the options available to deliver on a mandate to complete with financial rules of government?
(Quote):
Three years later if we are to measure the success of public sector reform by the financial indiscipline and malfeasance reflected in the Auditor General’s recent report, another F is easily scored. (Unquote).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Based on the above assumption can we conclude that the public sector financial environment is riddled with past and continuing acts of fraud hiding behind a façade of widespread incompetence?
It ‘clearly’ boggles the mind how the management of the NIS can get away with such ongoing blatant incompetence unless the revelation of past incidents of widespread fraud would cause the implosion of the entire social security system.
Clearly, such a cancerous mass of incompetence cannot be ‘migrated’ to the new republic.
Blaming the previous equally incompetent DLP administration will no longer cut it in the eyes of intelligent taxpayers and concerned citizens.
Like President Truman, the current primus inter pares must come to the urgent reality that the buck stops at the PM’s desk.
Auditor has got to be the last noble profession left with the least number of corrupt and incompetent individuals. All they do is highlight the problems and loopholes in any financial system but it is up to the people in charge to remedy the situation.
It always makes me laugh when people really expect anything to change when cleverly named marketing ploys like Public Sector Reform are used to appease the masses calling for changes and heads to roll. As long as ministers are the only ones ultimately in charge of the ministry, the corruption, political patronage and all the other shenanigans will continue because it is encouraged by the nature of the current governmental structure.
The only way to correct the whole system is to get rid of all minister positions and replace each minister with a board made up of MPs, Union and Private Sector representatives. Leave the Permanent Secretary in charge and make him/her solely responsible for the ministry with the board setting policy and approving budgets, reports and spending similar to how boards and CEOs operate in the private sector.
What grim reading!
I agree with a previous blogger. They should just shutter the damn audit office stop the annual charade.
If anything the malfeasance is getting worse.
David
Is that the best punishment yuh could think of?
How is that going to stop the underlings from getting so sweetly “punished”?
@Pacha
The time has come and gone to disrupt the annual process. This is not rocket science.
Government needs to establish a Change Management Unit to facilitate the massive restructure needed to bring B’dos public service into the 21st century. Lose the consultants. Let the Unit use the linkages across & between ministries to improve efficiency $m& effectiveness. Allow the Permanent Secretaries to do what they do best inform on operations and the Change Unit to lead the needed change of the ministries. Keep the Unit small because change must evolve & bevrecognized by the key stakeholders who would not be staff of the Unit. Let the auditors do their part via operational audits to assess the initial and ongoing success of change systems. I could go on but know this suggestion will like all others did a natural death.
I said pretty much the same thing as Groslyn on another blog.
Often the fault is not that of the current officer but those who have long gone. Dealing with a huge backlog while keeping up with daily activities is not possible in the short term. The UDC may have taken the more pragmatic approach of monitoring and managing current affairs. Balance sheets would be off but not income statements significantly.
SOMETIMES it is better to writeoff the long distant past and move forward.
Better than spending time chasing down old stuff while neglecting the current in SOME cases, especially when documentation for old activity is poor.
Why spend good money after bad, trying to piece together past transactions which cannot be changed while losing track of the present which can be?
What the Government must do is ensure that current transactions are properly recorded. Any senior officer who fails to ensure this could then be held responsible for what transpired under his/her watch.
And they should be!
Here is a link to the legislation under which the AG operates.
http://barbadosauditoffice.adaangdbarbados.net/legislation/
We making a lot of sport holding public officers accountable. Per usual a lot of long talk.
Asking the Opposition Leader for a friend, what is the status of the Transport Board probe please?
Source: Nation
It would be interesting to hear the Commissioner of Inland Revenue’s explanation why a simple cash management procedure is not being observed.
If only we could have the same level of outrage directed at the findings in the AG’s annual report going back to 2007.
We pay lip service to the important issues.
Governments change the civil service remains the same.
Many public servants are happy writing to bound ledgers and using longhand instead of email. The blogmaster is intimately aware.
I believe that my description of a toy train in my basement with all the bells and whistles is quite accurate.
Here we have the best whistle (Auditor General) blowing a warning sound. To be fair my toy train, whistles, put up steam and moves on the track. Yours only has the whistle.
You will never hear “The train has left the station”.
Looking at the report. Never opened a book on accounting or economics, so I may have a few ‘igrunt’ questions.
(What a world it is! Wondering if I spelt ‘igrunt’ correctly)
Hopefully, someone will be able to help me.
@ David
The report has for years and over both parties told us what we know is part of a much bigger issue and that is enforcement.
The AG can only identify issues, he has no power of enforcement. Those that are in charge of these decisions seem useless at doing this as well. Yet they stay in the jobs year after year till pension time.
As for the statutory boards they are no better. When you have an entity like the NIS that has not provided an audited report for years, that says it all. So what do we do to change this ? Well we have a few options.
A. We can give the AG power to bring these entities to task while ring fencing his department from interference, however we know the unions and politicians will not entertain that!
B. The PM can call for the resignation of all board members whose entities have breaches as outlined in the report, or have not supplied audited financials prior to 2020. Then again all of these boards are made up mainly of the “party boys” so don’t see that happening either. Plus if we did that the island would come to a halt as 90% of our entities would have no boards.
So where does that leave us? Correct, exactly where we are and have been for years. You see talk cheap and all politicians will stand up and say beating their chest ” this is unacceptable.” Yet when you ask them ” so boss man what we doing bout it?” You are met with a deafening silence. To be honest I have reached the stage now that I see cementing on the contents of the report a pointless exercise, as the same will be back in next years report under the current system.
@John A
This is the point. This is why posting the AG report last week or next week does not matter or so it seems. If one wants to determine the appetite for change in Barbados the aversion to remediate items raised in the report is the litmus test.
@ David
Exactly you have hit the nail on the head. The problem exist throughout the island with all of our challenges, from our economic restructuring to law enforcement.
The rule seems to be we must make changes as long as too much doesn’t change!
Let us examine the Financial Management Act Ryan Straughn waxed lyrically about in 2018. Where has it gotten us? The blogmaster recalls at the time a criticism of the legislation was the fact the law did not hold anyone accountable. So here we are, nothing has changed. We live in a world where interagency cooperation and interoperability of systems is critical to improving business facilitation as one example of an efficient public service.
You might be surprised to know that the bound legers might have been more accurate.
I wouldn’t want any of them handling any business of mine financial or otherwise…all of them should he fired…with their big guts waddling all over the place..
Every now and then I like to “poke the bear”.
Nothing will change. Nobody will be dismissed. It might get results, but who needs results?
There is usually ONE person who has responsibility (and gets paid) for the production of annual financial reports. ONE. Failure to produce such, is not some perceived lack of performance, IT IS NON PERFORMANCE. And if you want to get to the roots, you shake the trunk. You don’t prune a few stems. It doesn’t target the rank and file. And the fired WILL squeal. Those with lost income (pensions) will squeal. This is why it will never happen. Because that squealing will lead to “others” and the doo-doo will hit the fan.
So it is best we forget the past and forge forward. How $40 million x 10 missing reports was spent is irrelevant. That books indicate 65 houses which were built (paid for) but cannot be found is water under the bridge.
Note how they hooked DI. They shook the trunk and the CFO fell out. She knew she was guilty, so traded her backside ( by testifying and avoiding charges) for that of others.
If you don’t shake nothing will fall.
Because this lack of accountability is widespread across the 🌎, makes it no more tolerable.
Bajans have a reputation for being prim and proper. We are also known for patenting hypocrisy. We like it so.
It is all too obvious that public servants with DLP party membership are sabotaging the administration so that no reports or false reports are being submitted. Time for our honourable DPP to carry out mass arrests and intern the culprits until a court hearing can be held at some point …
Auditor General’s audit of Gov’t assets frustrated by missing info
https://barbados.loopnews.com/content/auditor-generals-audit-govt-assets-frustrated-missing-info
Who are the biggest shareholders in Massey?
Holders of the Ten (10) Largest Blocks of Shares
Shareholder Number of Shares as at 30-09-2020
1 National Insurance Board of Trinidad & Tobago 19,801,051
2 RBC/RBTT Nominee Services Limited 10,246,075
3 RBC/RBTTTrust Limited 9,410,305
4 Republic Financial Holdings Limited 7,198,348
5 Barbados Central Securities Depository Inc. 5,909,175
6 Trinidad & Tobago Unit Trust Corporation 4,313,198
7 First Citizens Trust & Asset Management 3,547,930
8 Trintrust Limited 3,444,967
9 Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited 3,103,253
10 National Insurance Board (Barbados) 2,800,372
https://massygroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/MASSY-HOLDINGS-ANNUAL-REPORT-2020_TOC_FINAL.pdf
Who were the largest shareholders in 2011-2012?
Holders of the ten (10) largest blocks of Shares
Name of Registered Shareholder Number of Shares
National Insurance Board 19,801,051
RBTT Trust Limited 8,660,798
RBTT Nominee Services Limited 8,928,672
Republic Bank Limited 7,568,068
First Citizens Trust & Asset Management Limited 5,190,127
Trinidad & Tobago Unit Trust Corporation 5,068,198
Trintrust Limited 3,316,794
Sagicor Equity Fund 1,959,858
Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited 1,561,578
Paula Rajkumarsingh & Curtis Lee Poy 1,332,292
Just having some sport!
@E/J
Your point? Massy bought BS&T. All those BS&T shareholders got Massy shares. Then Massy creased trading in Bds.
@David
While the condition is seen in Bim, it is not confined to Bim. It happens all over. This disease however, has spread quickly. A sad day when one realizes the Force is so strong, brand names don’t matter, they otherwise all taste the same.
Look back at earlier Annual reports.
You will see not all shareholders in 2020 were shareholders 10 years earleir.
@j
You mean top 10. If I am listed and I decide I don’t want my name/company name showing and I split the holdings in two they won’t show. If conversely some holders amalgamate they may now show under the amalgamated entity.
And that T&T exchange was (Is?) a nightmare to deal with. That it could take them multiple years to figure things out would be no surprise. The T&T central body has the share register not Massy. Just like B’dos.
When I posted that poster of the Mottley distorted smirk, which was to suggest that she operates base on two faces, it did not sit well with those who felt that Mottley would be the turn around that Barbados needed from the disgusting, stinking DLP. The SSS waited several months before she posted against Mottley, who deserved a chance to prove if she would come good or continue in the same vain of cloak, dagger and nepotism. Of these three, nepotism featured promimently followed by cloak but the jury is still deliberation over the dagger. As to what the DLP did to our beloved island, 0ne would think that after the nonsense of the DLP and the fact that the AG reports reflected poorly on their crookery and deliberate mismanagement of government funds, that the Mottley administration, seeing the stink, would have come with guns blazing to stop the rot. Instead, the Auditor General’s report is reading just like what transpired under the stinking DLP. To think that Mottley had the nerve to condemned lyrics she felt was not in good standing with public morals is a real donkey he haw. She should do the same outraged-public-address at yet another AG report that paints a damning picture of selective ministries and state corporations under her illustrious watch. I really thought that she would have change a lot of the nonsense that goes on in government accounting but it seems that under her watch, nothing is change and the SSS will lament that the rogue in Mottley is alive and well.
SSS over and gone again.
Pathetic and incompetent at its core
A govt that promised better performing at its worst
The auditor General reports speaks to a level of incompetence which is mind boggling at the same rate as the increase of crime
10 National Insurance Board (Barbados) 2,800,372
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When did the NIS buy into Massy?
Was it the same time it bought into Apes Hill?
Are Massy shares not converted BS&T shares?
It is now the turn of TwiddleD to heap criticism on TwiddleB.
Source: Nation
@John
“We” haven’t a clue. No report from the NIS so it is merely a guess. Did the NIS ‘ buy into Apes Hill? Was an NIS loan converted to something else, or was it retired when Chomday group took over. Somebody knows but it certainly isn’t the NIS shareholders.
@ David ” It is now the turn of TwiddleD to heap criticism on TwiddleB.”
TwiddleB will get their turn 6 years from now.
Beg and borrow today and tomorrow. ( first line of a clean soca song. that’sall I got. lol
@Hants
Let us cut to the chase- the same crap this government promised to fix continues unabated if we are to believe the under resourced Auditor General. The challenge for educated people is how do we pressure the political class that enough is enough? This outrage we engage annually has reached a level of embarrassment we have to label as people ignorance.
Where do we go from here?
This Harrison fella confused. First he questioned the process. Then he said it was not the process but the personnel. Now he’s back to the process. On the AG Report, how many posting have read the report and sought to determine progress or lack thereof by comparing the 3 reports issued since 2018?🤔
@enuff
We have to take the AGâs comment at face value. It is the same thing we did when the DLP was in office.
Finally we are getting to the fact that senior government officials have been performing below par for decades.
We keep hiring and promoting the same type of persons to these top positions by the same type of HR persons, by the same HR systems that have failed to produce positive results. Seems we have a highly delusional set of people controlling these procedures that produces these poor results that find the results acceptable.
https://barbadosunderground.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/auditor-geberal-meme.jpeg
Enuff June 5, 2021 10:54 AM #: “On the AG Report, how many posting have read the report and sought to determine progress or lack thereof by comparing the 3 reports issued since 2018?”
@ Enuff
Ironically, this morning, I attempted to ask NorthernObserver a similar question, but refused to do so.
Because, based on some of the comments, it’s clear some people either did not read the current and previous reports or did not understand what they read.
I’ve read where concerns raised by the Auditor General since 2017, have been repeated in subsequent reports, because supporting documentation to substantiate the transactions were not presented for review by the respective government departments to facilitate and complete the audit for that period.
As such, those matters would remain outstanding concerns in subsequent audits until the supporting documentation is found and the audit completed.
@Artax
Sadly it goes back further than 2017.
All a waste of time and money. A pappy show.
The buck stops with the incumbents. Fix it!
@enuff
Why don’t you explain the progress since 2018? It would help those of us who have noted some progress with the Caves, several schools, and where entities unable to reconcile the past, have begun submitting current reports, leaving prior years incomplete.
Since several of the smaller entities have been up-to-date within 2 years, and before 2018, maybe you could focus on the larger ones. The NIS, QEH, Transport and Housing entities would be a good starting point.
And Four Seasons.
@NO
Interesting Corey Layne on the talk show has pointed to the Financial Management Audit Act which gives the AG the power to charge monie owing to public servants.
This made the rounds all last week…nowhere to hide for the corrupt.
“Gm: My friends, comrades and good citizens of Barbados. Do not be sidetract about the recent video of gun violence and crime in Barbados. We all know that crime has taken over this society like leaves falling from a tree in the season of Fall. We need to play attention to the Auditor General report and its comments about fraud, corruption, misappropriation of funds and misleading information about transfer of government assets that falls within the authority of the Minister of Finance and the Director of Finance & Planning. Please note, the Director is a Certified General Accountant. In addition, why publish a video of that nature at this time in the middle of the Auditor General Report when Peter Ram publicly stated it was done a year ago. Let us not be sidetrack by this well taught out BLP plan and its operatives in the music industry to shift focus away from a corrupt government, get the majority of barbadiañs to jump on the band wagon of condemnation, except for a selected few who can see through the hypocrisy and the public relations propaganda. The DLP is out of office, a BLP government is at the helm. Within three years in office, millions of dollars in transfers cannot be accounted for, assets sold, transferred to other companies or dissolved but no paper trail or titled as to who own the assets whether government, or a highly contributor to the election campaign of the BLP. What are some of the critical issues missing from the report, an audit to identify the true owners of the SSA garbage trucks and the leaseing arrangements, the alleged BD$15 million contract in professional services that was never tendered for the demolition of the old National Insurance Building and the Fire Station at Probyn Street. The contract for the Caves of Barbados Ltd and Private Public Sector Partnership for the airport that was never laid in Parliament. This is the government that told Barbadians they have a new shepherd that will lead them by the still waters. For those of you who like to research and read, compare the 2018 and 2019 Auditor General Reports with this current one and you are sure to have what bajans would say, “Piss Your Self” it is difficult to beleive that within three years of office this level of mismanagement and misappropriation of public funds can occur. The current PM words, “Not bout Hay” or “Not Under my Watch”. John King said, the last auditor general report was the worst thing he has ever read and lock them up, Kirk Humprey describe it as embarrassing and dont deserve to be laid in Parliament, the others ministers join the choir. We now have a 2020 report, and it can only be assumed their chairs in Parliament and the Senate are strong enough to hold the weight and the AC unit with its extractors and ventalators are in good working order to extract the air that is going to pass while reading, it is not going to be a pleasant smell. Where is the transparency, accountability and paper trails of good goverance. We cannot allow White Oak to just pass way. Clearly from this report, White Oak and its directors has a lot to answer for about its dealings with government debt and assets. The DLP is not in office, whom do they blame, covid, volcanic dust or restart they national anthem, “The Lost Decade”. My fellow barbadians dont be sidetract we are all ware of the gun related problems in Barbados, we are also aware that the AG and his highly paid advisers have no answers. Our public finances are in disarray. As Barbadians continued to be fed an IMF diet, weight loss will come naturally for some as well as weight gain for others. The Auditor General Report say in simple language, if this BLP government give you a hand shake, make sure your five fingers are still on. We are not in this together, “Many hands make light work, dont worry we got this one, “Gimma thee Vote and Watch Ma.” Mia cares.”
Fix what…what is there to fix now that these have made it that much worse, they must have gotten INFECTED by the big red bag of evidence of corruption they had against DLP and maloney..
.everything is now EVEN MORE CORRUPT….
EVEN MORE THEFTS from the population…..in 3 short years…
they better find the IMF money….if they went dipping their THIEVING HANDS into it.
i told the people already that they are NOT responsible for any debt DBLP incurred when TIEFING BILLIONS OF THEIR DOLLARS…their children and grandchildren ARE NOT TO REPAY ANY OF IT…
that’s for the corrupt in the parliament and the dangerous minorities TO REPAY …they tief it, it’s THEIR DEBT..
don’t know who any of these lowlife thieves think they are.
Northern
Lol…why should I? Fuh wunna to cuss me blue..no suh.
David
The Aud Gen can be a drama queen sometimes. I’ve said this even under the Dems.
To some, it is just a game
The quick answer
Look what social media is thinking
The Bajan Public duped: Massive Fraud
The Auditor-General’s timely and anticipated report is a clanger. It has blown the lid off this government’s hypocrisy. These were the people that promised the Bajan people ‘vote and watch muh’ but what we have seen is disgusting and shameful. The Auditor-General is a true Bajan patriot. I tip my hat off to him. The depths of fraud and lies perpetrated upon the Bajan people are without precedent. It is blatant and now seems to be endemic in our system.
The PM cannot hide from this one. She is the one that said anything big must come through her. This is ‘big’ Prime Minister. It involves millions upon millions of taxpayers’ money either siphoned off, unaccounted for, disappeared, or in the pockets of people in positions of power and authority. PM, there is something quite abhorrent about what the AG has revealed. It has shown our system is broken and now firmly in the position of a banana republic.
I know some of you will think I am a little harsh. But I wish I could say how I truly feel on this Social Media page. It cannot be written here. I do not care if you are a politician, party, individual, organisation, or group; when you put your hands in taxpayers’ hard earn cash and treat it like it’s your personal bank account, you should be outed. Barred from political life or responsibility for at least ten years. This fraudulent behaviour must be stamped out. We must demand standards from our political and civil leaders.
We cannot be on one hand chastising Lil Rick for some silly over-the-top video, that is filled with bravado and unnecessary gangsterism, but refuse to say anything about the millions unaccounted for. This will have an impact far greater than some stupid, self-indulgent, in poor taste, video.
In Barbados, the working class is always voraciously castigated for any imperfections. While I think Lil Rick’s video was distasteful, only a small minority of Bajan youth would take up this bravado and they are already in the game. The video merely reinforces for them, their lived experiences. But the vast majority of Bajan youth would take Lil Rick’s pantomime video with a pinch of salt. They know reality from make-believe. They are not stupid.
This video has become an orchestrated distraction. The government’s new black ops unit has gone to work diverting attention. Where is the outrage from the clergy, civil leaders, cultural icons, and others in a position of authority and responsibility? I cannot hear them. They, like the PM, have high-tailed it to the church either to hide or for solace. I notice the PM now wants to work with the church after over three years in power, on social issues. The church it now seems has become her veil to cover her from this huge transgression perpetrated on the Bajan people.
This is only for me the beginning of speaking out on the massive fraud the Auditor-General has highlighted. How could those who claim to care, allow the Bajan public to be treated with such gigantic deceit? Community Projects, land, accounts all gone missing and there is no reasonable explanation. The government must immediately call in an external authority to investigate these matters.
However, I want to know one thing and the government must answer the Bajan public on this matter. With such huge gaps in our audit, how was the government’s evaluation for the IMF calculated? Because if the auditor-General has uncovered such major discrepancies from their audit, then the figures given to the IMF would have to be incorrect. This whole thing has sullied our reputation. It makes me as a Bajan feel as if we are joining the ranks of the unethical and unscrupulous.
Fb
The report now is more of a guestimate than an audit. Truth is they are too many glaring holes now to arrive at any real opinion of where we truly are financially.
When you factor in all the unaudited information and the unaccounted for spending, along with the income due that is uncollectable to the state, how could one in a real world speak to this as a financial report?
Dont get me wrong i support the AG for his perseverance, but to be honest we have reached the point where these reports are so off they are practically meaningless as a financial yardstick.
@enuff
It was you who suggested comparing the reports post 2018. I did. I could find little different than what I mentioned. In fact this last report contained more irrelevant “filler” than prior ones. A status report on all those entities the AudG should be auditing, and where they are in providing his office with the required information.
Given your comments I must have missed something? Fill me in?
Source: Nation
Here is a govt that recently gave plenty acres of land away to big business in and outside of Barbados right under the peoples nose and not one had the nerve to question
Now three years later after givt worked and passed all kinds of laws without transparency there is a hue and cry to what happened
Wanna deserve the dog bites wanna getting
The Bajan Public duped: Massive Fraud
The Auditor-General’s timely and anticipated report is a clanger. It has blown the lid off this government’s hypocrisy. These were the people that promised the Bajan people ‘vote and watch muh’ but what we have seen is disgusting and shameful. The Auditor-General is a true Bajan patriot. I tip my hat off to him. The depths of fraud and lies perpetrated upon the Bajan people are without precedent. It is blatant and now seems to be endemic in our system.
The PM cannot hide from this one. She is the one that said anything big must come through her. This is ‘big’ Prime Minister. It involves millions upon millions of taxpayers’ money either siphoned off, unaccounted for, disappeared, or in the pockets of people in positions of power and authority. PM, there is something quite abhorrent about what the AG has revealed. It has shown our system is broken and now firmly in the position of a banana republic.
I know some of you will think I am a little harsh. But I wish I could say how I truly feel on this Social Media page. It cannot be written here. I do not care if you are a politician, party, individual, organisation, or group; when you put your hands in taxpayers’ hard earn cash and treat it like it’s your personal bank account, you should be outed. Barred from political life or responsibility for at least ten years. This fraudulent behaviour must be stamped out. We must demand standards from our political and civil leaders.
We cannot be on one hand chastising Lil Rick for some silly over-the-top video, that is filled with bravado and unnecessary gangsterism, but refuse to say anything about the millions unaccounted for. This will have an impact far greater than some stupid, self-indulgent, in poor taste, video.
In Barbados, the working class is always voraciously castigated for any imperfections. While I think Lil Rick’s video was distasteful, only a small minority of Bajan youth would take up this bravado and they are already in the game. The video merely reinforces for them, their lived experiences. But the vast majority of Bajan youth would take Lil Rick’s pantomime video with a pinch of salt. They know reality from make-believe. They are not stupid.
This video has become an orchestrated distraction. The government’s new black ops unit has gone to work diverting attention. Where is the outrage from the clergy, civil leaders, cultural icons, and others in a position of authority and responsibility? I cannot hear them. They, like the PM, have high-tailed it to the church either to hide or for solace. I notice the PM now wants to work with the church after over three years in power, on social issues. The church it now seems has become her veil to cover her from this huge transgression perpetrated on the Bajan people.
This is only for me the beginning of speaking out on the massive fraud the Auditor-General has highlighted. How could those who claim to care, allow the Bajan public to be treated with such gigantic deceit? Community Projects, land, accounts all gone missing and there is no reasonable explanation. The government must immediately call in an external authority to investigate these matters.
However, I want to know one thing and the government must answer the Bajan public on this matter. With such huge gaps in our audit, how was the government’s evaluation for the IMF calculated? Because if the auditor-General has uncovered such major discrepancies from their audit, then the figures given to the IMF would have to be incorrect. This whole thing has sullied our reputation. It makes me as a Bajan feel as if we are joining the ranks of the unethical and unscrupulous.
Fb
Twiddle D versus Twiddle B
@ David
That the direction a ‘particular side’ wants steer the discussion.
Recall Mr. Skinner made a comment on another blog in reference to “……..$24 million destined for poor Black people cannot be seriously accounted for according to the Auditor General.”
Why don’t we have a rational discussion about this situation?
Based on some of the comments on the report I’ve read so far, I’m wondering how many ‘BU bloggers’ actually took the time to read and understand the report before commenting on it, or posting uninformed opinions to BU, from people on Facebook who obviously did not read it as well?
@Artax
Many people will pass on digging into the details of the report because in their minds it is more of the same. It does not matter many of AG comments refer to issues brought forward. People are fed up!
@ David
As I mentioned in my previous contribution, Mr. Skinner raised the issue of “……..$24 million destined for poor Black people cannot be seriously accounted for according to the Auditor General,” on another blog.
When told there was a blog dedicated to the Auditor General’s report, rather the bringing his concerns here, so we could discuss them, he preferred to sarcastically apologised, while ‘saying,’ “carry on smartly.”
I always thought debating meant engaging in serious discussion of a topic and opposing views. If you don’t understand someone opinion you ask them to explain, or question the rationale behind that opinion, explain why and bring present a different perspective.
But, it appears as though some people on BU seem to believe we should debate the issues they want to debate, in the manner they want to debate them. So, if I ask a question or disagree with a comment, someone in a subsequent contribution would snidely refer to me as an apologist, pretending to be neutral and that they “are dealing with very sophisticated propagandists.”
To be considered neutral and correct is bore the forum with the SAME rhetoric to EVERY topic, even when some of the comments have gone into the realm of absurdity.
@Artax
So many on the blog come with too many agendas and are happy to frame comments with a narrow perspective. There is not tolerance to open debate and flex on positions if commonsense demands it.
Finding money and land missing is not being “a drama queen” contrary to what fowl Slaves who boast about not living on the island thinks….told yall the Slaves are the main problem and definitely enemies of the Black population…they condone thefts and everything that is bad against the people…as long as it’s the only two letters in the alphabet.. D & B… that they know……doing the TIEFING….
that’s why an international forensic audit needs to take place to see how many yardfowls have been laundering BILLIONS of dollars in US, UK, Canada, Europe, Central and South America,the Mediterrean and everywhere else, they are TOO SLIMY and fraudulent not to volunteer to launder money stolen from the people for decades and decades..
time to reel in those deceitful, fraudulent yardfowls who enable and condone corrupt governments..
William….it’s all coming to a head, they opened a container of MAGGOTS and when said maggots started CRAWLING ALL OVER THEM…they ran for the hills……not a peep out of any of them since….it appears that maggots don’t like maggots…
we await the GRAND FINALE,..and the account of the people’s money that all of them from 1966 believe in their evil hearts belong to them….especially those vicious minorities.
now they are waiting to see if things blow over and everyone forgets…but not this time, those with more than 2 brain cells are waiting for them too…
@ Artax
Mr. Skinner is not one who engages in foolishness. On many occasions, I have seen interventions and injections in discussions, that bore no relevance to the the issue.
On this occasion, I merely made a light hearted comment , a rather relaxed play on words and I was mildly rebuked.
I took the opportunity to offer an apology and move on.
I commented on the AG’s report in the appropriate blog, when I said that the shit was going on for forty years or more in some form or other.
Listening to the distinguished and brilliant Mr. Straghan today on Brasstacks and concurring with almost 100 % of what he said, I like he , have determined , there is no need for any new Auditor Generals report because and I am in full agreement with him that almost every issue raised in the current AG report , in the outstanding minister’s words ; “ predated” the current administration.
There is therefore nothing for this administration to answer or defend. One will have to wait , until sometime, maybe forty years or so or never, to hear about all the malfeasance that roamed Bim
for the period 2008 to 2018.
There is absolutely nothing in the AG report that causes any concern about the current administration. On this score, I need no further to debate the AGs report.
because it will be a waste of time , in that the former administration ,is not around to answer the teefing and corruption, that was executed under the very worst government ever inflicted on this country.
I , as a concerned citizen, is delighted to learn that all those days are now forever behind us. In fact. I often wonder what the hell the Auditor General does these days. He really has nothing to do. There is no teefing, no corruption, no sweetheart deals
The Duopoly has finally got it right !
Having an auditor general report is the only way the people would get a view of what goes on with govt and the high level of ineptneness and incompetence involved
It also sends a message about the trustworthiness of govt and the high level of corruption involved
The report is necessary
Can’t imagine not having one and allowing the govt to do as it dam pleases with the people money without any form of accountability or transparency
The report is the only report that gives the people closer look at runaway govt
Where has our taxpayer’s money gone?
The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) waited with bated breath to hear if the Government of Barbados would answer the Auditor General’s report. We deliberately gave them time. After all, this Government wastes no time getting before the cameras.
To date, there have been two press conferences; the last of which was with the Minister responsible for Home Affairs and still not one word about the glaring discrepancies in the report.
One of which is the controversial Four Seasons Hotel where millions of our taxpayer’s monies were at stake.
The Auditor General was quoted in Barbados TODAY newspaper asking why the entire investment was written off.
“In the 2018-2019 financial year, the entire investment was written off. It has not been clearly established what was the basis of the entire write-off of the investment. It was also not clear what was the nature of the investment relationship Clearwater had with the hotel owners. The investment and subsequent write off could not therefore, be verified by the auditors,” he said.
Therefore, the people of Barbados have a right to know where the money has gone? And why was this investment valued at $124 million written off.
Not only do we have the Clearwater issue, but we also have another case of missing money as the British American Insurance company (BAICO) had been issued a $10.7 million in bond support and had a new investment account created.
However, once again the Auditor General was unclear about this investment as there was an absence of supporting information on the information recorded for the investment transaction.
Let me break this down for you in layman’s terms: The Auditor General could not find any piece of paper that proved where this money went. There is no evidence, no statements, no documents, nothing to prove where the unaccounted money is.
Money is unaccounted for! And we cannot get a press conference to state where it is.
The Auditor General also remains in the dark about why $48, 941 in overdrawn salaries was written off by the Equity Account. He is unclear why this amount was written off with no approval for these write offs was provided for audit inspection.
Once again: MONEY UNACCOUNTED FOR!
The Auditor General also was alarmed that Government had dishonoured cheques totalling $6.7 million dollars which were not seen in the dishonoured cheques register. So where has the unaccounted funds gone to?
This is a lot of money that cannot be accounted for. Particularly only three years into the term of a Government that campaigned on accountability and transparency.
Under law as it pertains to the dishonoured cheques it requires that an accounting officer examine the Dishonoured Cheques Register of the department not less than once a month and ensure that clearances of the cheques are pursued, and recoveries are effective.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY, the Auditor General is reported to have said: “The omission of pertinent information from the Dishonoured Cheques Register impedes the department’s ability to determine whether the dishonoured cheques are actually outstanding,” he said.
The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) calls on the Government to keep its promise of transparency and inform the country, and the Auditor General on where our money has gone. Why isn’t there documentation; why hasn’t the reconciliation of the Central Bank been done? Why was Clearwater written off, why is it that we have overdrawn salaries? Why is it we have not heard a peep from this administration on this issue?
Certainly, a government that has never delayed in holding a Press Conference or media briefing and has claimed transparency and care about the citizens should have no problem responding to the questions that have been posed by the Auditor General and the citizens of Barbados.
Verla De Peiza
President of the Democratic Labour Party
2021-06-07
The AG may be quite serious about his job. This is surprising as the GOB has not taken him seriously for quite some time.
The rules of procedure says that when the AG presents his report to parliament it should be reviewed and the Public Accounts Committee take charge. Will end this comment right there.
#politicalclass
Silence broken on Auditor General Report by Minister Straughn
https://barbados.loopnews.com/content/silence-broken-auditor-general-report-minister-straughn
Not buying t from Straughan the excuse about Mia as lawyer for the Four seasons would have recuse her self from the decision making in reference to the 124 million give away
Mia as minster of finance have a duty as to how taxpayers money is spent
Furthermore she once told Barbados that big works come through her
Indeed this matter was a big work and the final decision on the 124 million would have to been given her stamp of approval
Yep….she did say for everyone to hear….”no big works cahn happen bout here without me.” lawd..
“Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn, denied that the Mia Mottley administration was responsible for a number of irregularities outlined in the latest report to Parliament from the Auditor General.”
this is the best time to ask, wuh happen to the BIG RED BAG of EVIDENCE of DLP corruption with maloney and they were hot and ready to lock him (as he is directly responsible for the death of the HOLDER child……
and lock up DLP for all those irregularities aka THEFTS, questionable contracts, aka CORRUPTION…blah, blah, blah…and then some…..oh and that spat with Innotech where all of them were calling each other thieves and corrupt and then shared/gave away another contract…to their corrupt friends.
Anyone counted the number of “NOT” in the report?
@ angela cox June 7, 2021 5:51 PM
(Quote);
In the 2018-2019 financial year, the entire investment was written off. It has not been clearly established what was the basis of the entire write-off of the investment. It was also not clear what was the nature of the investment relationship Clearwater had with the hotel owners. The investment and subsequent write off could not therefore, be verified by the auditors,” he said.
Therefore, the people of Barbados have a right to know where the money has gone? And why was this investment valued at $124 million written off. (Unquote).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear Angela, you boss VD is not as sharp as you think of her.
She is nothing more than another ‘lawyering’ handmaiden to cover up the mess of corruption practise(d) by the BDLP duopoly playing a game of fair exchange with the Bajan taxpayers simply seen as “Piggy in the Middle”.
How else would the political class of poor boys and girls get rich unless at the expense of the poor taxpayers?
If either your VD or the bogus leader of the imaginary Opposition were worth a pinch of their own salt they would be demanding a list of disbursements of that $124 million.
For they might just stumble across the audit trail showing that a good slice of those millions represents payments in respect of consultancy services to a specific overseas registered firm with close ‘advisory’ ties to a member of the current red sanctum sanctorum.
The Bishop who has dropped his red cap to become the ‘green’ dummy sitting on the ‘Opposite’ throne as the LOO is himself part of the very cover-up for mess of 30 pieces of Judas-enshrined silver.
Ryan Straughan think all bajans have short mind
124million give away is a whopper of money for Mia not to have a hands on control or some kind of influence
No! bajans does not have short memories
This is the same Mia who tried denying that she had no influence in her dad tax waiver of upward to 1million dollars in judgements which were lodged against him for monies owing to the Income tax debt
The issue was brought to.public attention and OSA denied given the request
However the waiver was done when he was out of the country without OSA given the ok
Now straughan is sent out to be the clean up man and to do damage control on the 124million write off
Yes Mia said all big works gotta come through her
All bajans not foolish
That money was given away by Thompson, Mia was the attorney…they were both thisclose..
i remember the day hearing on the news about government was going to help the devisers and crooks for the scam, i turned to a stranger next to me and said, tell me this fool is not going to pick up taxpayers money and give to these thieves…..the person said, so wuh you tink gine happen, they do it all the time…that was not too long after they were elected…
problem is the scam grew so big that i have no doubt that it was double or more that amount….so big that no one knows where the money or the property they said they sold to a company which turned out to be Bjerkham……the eyesore, and all the money…both disappeared…..because no one could find the money DLP said they sold it for. either.
all a pack of thieves who want picking up…
If memories are working you will remember the 4 Seasons scam coincided wth the Redject…$9.99 Caribbean flights which turned into 19.99 and then they wanted to dip into the NIS Funds to keep the aircraft in the air, then the airline sunk but the 4 Seasons scam was the gift that kept on giving to everyone BUT THE TAXPAYERS WHO GOT RIPPED OFF…
i thought all of it was very strange from the beginning and wondered if it was a movie…..looks like it will be a good book though…..😎
@ WARU
The new strategy is telling the “sophisticated propagandists” what they want to hear: Barbados is corruption free. All the teefing and corruption took place in the “Lost Decade.” These Bees and Dees have done more damage to Barbados than any natural disaster: a pack of politically demented, pathetic empty vessels keeping nothing but noise on BU and elsewhere.
We must never retreat or surrender to their embarrassing political junk. And to cap it off, they have the balls to play they calling you out. They are not in your streets and you must forgive them. Please continue your mission of defending, informing and educating poor Black people.
“Therefore, the people of Barbados have a right to know where the money has gone? And why was this investment valued at $124 million written off.”
It’s either Verla De Peiza has conveniently lost her memory or opposing just for the sake of opposing.
Paradise Beach Ltd. secured an 18 month, US$60M (BD$120,000,000) loan from ANSA Merchant Bank, at an interest rate of 6.75%, for the purpose of ‘restarting’ construction of Four Seasons Resort.
The former DLP administration agreed to guarantee the loan in return for a 20% stake in the project.
Paradise Beach Ltd. defaulted on the loan and ‘government,’ as guarantor, had to repay the outstanding amount and interest in the amount of $124,329,766.
Verla was a GOVERNMENT SENATOR when the ARRANGEMENTS were made between the former DLP administration, Paradise Beach Ltd. and ANSA Merchant Bank.
Why is Verla De Peiza saying “the people of Barbados have a right to know where the money has gone,” when, according to Chapter 2, pages 25-26 of the 2016 Auditor General’s report:
“This amount ($124,329,766) was subsequently brought to book in the accounts of the Treasury as an account receivable. There has been no movement on this receivable account for the past four (4) years.” [2.49]
“There is NO information available on whether there might be a need to write down this receivable or WHEN or HOW THIS AMOUNT will be REPAID.” [2.49]
Did the former administration use tax payers’ money to guarantee a loan for Paradise Beach Ltd., without negotiating the necessary arrangements to recover the funds, if the company reneged on its commitment to repay?
From whom or what company would the former or current administration recover the outstanding debt, especially if Paradise Beach Ltd. is defunct?
How can one deem $124,329,766 to be ‘missing,’ when the amount has remained on the ‘books’ and uncollected for ‘several years’………. and ‘yuh doan know who to collect it from?’
****** How can one deem $124,329,766 to be ‘missing,’ when the amount has remained on the ‘books’ as an ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE for ‘several years’………. and ‘yuh doan know who to collect it from?’
Perfectly explained, Artax. We must be truthful in our criticism. If one has no knowledge of Accounting one should not pretend one does.
Verla De Peiza is the shadow minister of finance.
Source: Nation News
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Pingback: Four Seasons Project – Story of Failure | Barbados Underground
“We must never retreat or surrender to their embarrassing political junk. And to cap it off, they have the balls to play they calling you out.”
oh they can call me out, but i will spend YEARS PICKING AND PICKING until a thread comes loose….and UNRAVEL THEM…
i don’t know how much people know about banking, but if someone gets a loan from any institution….COLLATERAL MUST BE HANDED OVER….in some form, tangible or intangible…but the bank wants something to back the loans, and since Barbados has no gold standard, something must be used…
“All the teefing and corruption took place in the “Lost Decade.”
that’s the scam they have always run on the country….”:you teef the money, no you teef it and you teef more, we gine lock you up….so try it…i know more bout you….no, i know bout you too.. so try it and see”
and they have played that TIEF THE PEOPLE’S MONEY GAME…..FOR DECADES, it’s now a blood sport for them, their minority partners are insulated with protection from going to prison as long as their business partners are in the parliament……the people gotta put an end to that AND THEM… get rid of this last group of traitors…or the island CANNOT move forward..
from listening to people, the electorate IS QUICKLY COMING TO THAT REALIZATION….their days are numbered.
@ Donna
I believe we should not only be TRUTHFUL in our criticisms, but FAIR, reasonable, RATIONAL and BALANCED as well. Even if we run the risk of being labelled as “apologists,” “pretending to be neutral” or “sophisticated propagandists,” by individuals who seem to believe they’re still living in the 1960s and 70s and are using strategies from that era to ‘fight the good fight’ in 2021.
The same individuals who, on one hand, hypocritically claim to despise the BLP and DLP and keep reminding us about the damage inflicted on Barbados by both political parties……………..
……………. yet, on the other hand, their criticisms always seem to ‘favour’ a specific ‘party,’ while the examples they give are always CONFINED to successive tenures of that party.
They admonish and make snide remarks to people who they believe are ‘apologists’ for the current administration, while defending the ‘oppositionist ‘ and any references to the so called ‘lost decade’ apparently angers them.
Perhaps these are the reasons why they’re often referred to as ‘disgruntled DEMS.’
@ Artax
Kindly explain what is different about this Auditor General’s Report and all the rest we have discussed on BU since you were a contributor. It matters not who is in office, under the Duopoly, we have seen : skullduggery, and abundance of poor governance. This reached its zenith during the period 2008 to 2018, when it is known that then Minister of Finance failed to ignite the economy and we ended up with several downgrades. I don’t think anybody on BU, except hard defenders of the BLP , who like to brand people , could ever find an article where I defended the the then administration. It is virtually impossible to have any rewarding exercise when the sharp political knives are always drawn.
The question that engages my mind from time to time is if there is any real hope for our country under the Duopoly. Hard as I try to be optimistic, almost every day, I am confronted by some very hard truths and I conclude that since the period immediately after Independence, we had seen some movement but by 1974, I was basically finished with them all. That is why I run for the No Damn Party and lost my deposit and refused all the enticements to join the Duopoly.
All I can say to you and all the rest on BU , be you BEES or DEES: Wunnuh deserve to burn in the political hell for what you have done and continue to do to this country especially the poor Black people who you have all abandoned to serve masters such as Mark Maloney and others.
Ah wonder how they are digesting breakfast, lunch and dinner these days….hope they assimilate in their new environment of people enlightenment AND WOKENESS…. because it’s ONLY NOW BEGUN..
and will NOT END UNTIL 2023
@ WURA
We must continue to ignore the pretenders: It’s their favorite pass time; de pot calling de kettle black. As soon as you don’t allow them to put you in a D or B box , they get angry. Let them boil in their own stew.
Nothing more than old kite tails twisting in the wind on an electric pole wire.
A pathetic bunch of Duopoly apologists and defenders. Always trying to drag people into their parties’ BS.
A bunch of Slaves trapped in their slave society….and that’s right where they will remain….caged in their slave society zoo…..that’s now exposed everywhere, they are the talk of both east and west.
they were warned for years on end…let them tek dah..
Catch you in 202x or 203x. I guess we will have a lot more reports to discuss then.
It’s like groundhog day or Christmas, comes every year.
when i smell money i fly to it , just the same as a fly . we can barely expect nobility from our fellow man . the proof of the pudding is in the tasting ( by their works we shall know them ) ( often too late ) . regretfully .
@NO
Your suggestion made in jest or not is taking root. The PS is responsible for budget managing and resource allocation in the department, it is not fair to give them a pass.
“Mia as minster of finance have a duty as to how taxpayers money is spent
Furthermore she once told Barbados that big works come through her
Indeed this matter was a big work and the final decision on the 124 million would have to been given her stamp of approval”
The Minister does a good job of covering for his boss, but ac cleverly peals off that layer of protection by using Mia’s own ‘big works’ statement.
Sutherland advanced down the pitch and was yorked by ac.
Splendid bowling. You go girl.
Auditor General wants legislative backing to hold public officials to account: https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/06/11/auditor-general-wants-legislative-backing-to-hold-public-officials-to-account/
Not an economist or accountant, just a man with a good nose for scams..
Some companies declare bankruptcy and then resurface under a new name.
Is going republic a country’s way of playing this game.
Will past auditor general reports become irrelevant as some entities are given new names
Little island, big Republic
Pingback: Four Seasons Project: Public Servants Must Serve Taxpayers NOT Politicians | Barbados Underground
“Is going republic a country’s way of playing this game.”
you got it, same crooked, thieving families and their hangerson and their corrupt minority friends believe the billions of dollars generated on the island is theirs and they could do as they like with it…it will be the same old IF THE PEOPLE DON’T ACT and get rid of them..
going republic will be a new way TO TIEF..
openly LYING about her involvement as minister of finance in writing off the MONEY STOLEN from the treasury in the 4 Season scam, as the lawyer for that scam, should see her REMOVED from office in 2023…
what a GANG OF THIEVES..
SOURCE: NATION NEWS
The following is an extract from a 2007 dissertation by a South African on the AG service there. This comment is directed at those who are of the blinded view public servants should be exempted from being held accountable.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/49241517.pdf