In search of transparency

Transparency continues to elude this country and even with an Opposition Majority we feel less convinced that our interests will be properly presented.

The facts often presented in the Auditor General report only illuminates what is hear-say around the country and often dismissed. But once we look at the black and white on those pages, we cannot dismiss that we are being taken for fools.

For more than two years we heard about a well funded plan to bring another fiber optic cable to the country using taxpayers money. Under any other circumstance, any project dealing with telecommunications would be dealt with under the Office of the Prime Minister.

This isn't the case, this time around the Office of the President as set up and escrow account with millions of US dollars aimed at executing this project.

Don't get us wrong, we understand that by law the Auditor General can scrutinize any public record but we sincerely doubt that the AG pushed his broom as far as it can reach in this instance. An estimated of more than $800 million for this project his a guess-timate with the AG office seeming reluctant to pursue the finer financial details of the project.

A project that is probably already costing taxpayers, takes up less than two paragraphs in the Ag report.

What is more bothering that is that the Opposition will not use its Economic Services committee to ensure that we get value for money or to ensure that all the financial undertakings of this project is brought to the fore.

What we do know is that the continued abuse of resources will have an everlasting impact on taxpayers.