Thursday, July 23rd, 2009: St George’s, Grenada: Members of Her Majesty’s Opposition are calling on the Tillman Thomas led administration to fulfill the promise made to the people of Grenada to be a transparent and accountable Government.

 

Opposition members say after one year in office, the NDC administration has refused to account to the nation on a number of matters including the spending of monies which were not approved by the Parliament.

Members also cited the failure of the NDC to hold finance committee meetings every six months, as a matter of great concern.  This actions by the Government’s is not only illegal and unconstitutional, but it also denies the official opposition an opportunity to perform it’s role effectively by scrutinizing the spending by Government and the management of the country’s finances.      

According to Opposition leader Dr. the Rt. Hon. Keith Mitchell, when the NNP administration held such meetings every six months in accordance with the law, the NDC complained about not being given sufficient opportunity to scrutinize the Government’s finances. 

This was one of the issues the leader of the Opposition was raising at the last sitting of the House of Representative with the hope that the Government would have taken corrective measures but instead he was thrown out of the Parliament by the Speaker. 

The Opposition therefore calls on the Government to urgently convene and maintain regular meetings of the Finance Committee so that the illegal spending by this administration can be stopped. The Opposition is also calling on the Government not just to stop illegal spending but to reduce wasteful spending such travelling of Government officials in large delegations on trips that are not absolutely necessary and those which will not bring definite and significant benefits to the country.

The opposition is of the view that the Government’s spending pattern in the current economic situation clearly demonstrates it’s lack of care and concern for the poor and vulnerable of our country.  

Office of the Leader of the Opposition