May 26, 2017 Issue #1178

Friday, May 26, 2017 Issue #1178 C M Y K Page 2 The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer. Friday May 26, 2017 LOCAL NEWS Government makes steps to establish Public Accounts Committee By Loshaun Dixon already nominated audits and is generally accounts committee in three members to expected to examine St. Kitts and Nevis,” Basseterre, St. Kitts - serve on the commit- the accounts of gov- he said. The government has tee. ernment and how they taken steps to establish are spent to meet the He added that the clerk a public accounts com- “This of course is con- government needs. of the Parliament has mittee in St. Kitts and sistent with the com- been unable to find or Nevis after months of mitment of the govern- Harris reaffirmed the recall any public calls for the body to be ment to accountability government’s intent to accounts committee installed. and full transparency, have a “fresh start” report that has been so we want to move to with the functioning of supported by the Prime Minister of St. establish public this important body. National Assembly. Kitts and Nevis Dr. accounts committee,” Timothy Harris told he said. “Unfortunately, how- “We on this side intend the National Assembly ever, there is little to correct this regret- given the leader of the nate someone to chair on Tuesday that the A public accounts guide to the activation table situation,” he opposition the privi- the Public Accounts government has committee refers to a of this process as there said. “To consecrate lege to appoint the Committee.” already started the body in the legislature has been no history of the future, we will chair of the committee, process and has that must study public a functioning public bring legislation that despite no legal oblig- He explained once the will provide a better ation. nominees are received framework in which a from the opposition, a public accounts com- “We, therefore, await resolution will be mittee will operate.” the nomination from brought to the the opposition one National Assembly. Harris added that he who will be the chair- had already written to person of this commit- “Once received, I the leader of the oppo- tee,” Harris said. shall, as the minister of sition for him to pro- “Although there is no finance, bring the pose two nominees to legal requirement, my appropriate resolution be part of the five- cabinet has determined to the National member committee. that we will give the Assembly for the Harris added that the privilege to the leader approval of the assem- government has also of opposition to nomi- bly,” he said. BEST BUY SUPERMARKET is seeking application from suitable qualified persons to fill the position of Pastry Chef/Baker. The successful candidate - Responsible for high quality pastry and bread production - At least Ten (10) years experience as a Pastry Chef/Baker in a full service, upscale hotel. - Creative with the designing and decorating of cakes - Excellent people skills and professional training in the discipline. MUST be able to work on his/her own - Diverse culture of pastries, bread and other bakery products is a plus Applications should be send to: Best Buy Supermarket Chef Application Seaview Gardens Basseterre St. Kitts LOCAL NEWS The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer. Friday May 26, 2017 Page 3 Speaker Perkins: Government’s Decision to Establish Public Accounts Committee is as a Transparent Move BASSETERRE, St. three members. We records of meetings tain that the autho- Kitts – The decision therefore await the held, no reports ever rised expenditure dur- taken by the govern- nomination from the coming to Parliament. ing each financial by the National expenditure and to ment of National opposition, one of year, including supple- Assembly; (b) scruti- verify applications of Unity to allow the whom will be the “Although the commentary expenditure, nise the causes which savings on other leader of the opposi- chairperson of this mittees were constitut- has been applied to the may have led to any authorised items of ed, there were no excess over authorised tion the privilege to committee.” purposes prescribed Continued on page 20 nominate the chair of guidelines as to how the Public Accounts Perkins noted that the they should function, Committee is being Standing Orders of no regulations, no pro- welcomed by the Parliament under sec- cedures,” Perkins said. Honourable A. tion 70, which form “I believe that was the Michael Perkins, the part of the National root of the problem, speaker of the Assembly Act, stipu- and so what we are National Assembly, as late that there shall be hoping to do now is to a “transparent move” a public accounts have that committee in the observance of committee. established.” “good governance.” During Harris’s pre- “The executive “Traditionally, that’s sentation, he revealed [branch] intends to the way it’s been done to the nation that there bring new legislation throughout the is no record of a func- that would deal with Caribbean region,” tioning public all the regulations on Perkins told the press accounts committee in how the committee May 24. “All the cases St. Kitts and Nevis to should function,” he we have researched date. “In fact, the clerk added. would show that the of the Parliament has leader of the opposi- been unable to find or Harris said that once tion in that [respec- recall any public the cabinet receives tive] country chaired accounts committee the nominations from the public accounts report that has been the opposition leader, committee.” submitted to the Harris will, as the min- National Assembly,” ister of finance, “bring During the May 23 sit- Harris said. the appropriate resolu- ting of the National tion to the National Assembly, Prime Perkins went further Assembly for the Minister Harris dis- and explained that at approval of the closed that he had least three public Assembly.” written to the leader of accounts committee the opposition to were formed in St. The Standing Orders request he propose Kitts and Nevis since of Parliament state two nominees to be the federal elections in that the duties and part of a five-member the year 2000, but powers of the public public accounts com- “none of these com- accounts committee, mittee, saying “the mittees seemed to drawn from both sides government has have functioned at all, of the lawmaking already nominated meaning there are no body are to (a) ascer- Page 4 The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer. Friday May 26, 2017 COMMENTARY Editorial Letter to the Editor The Editor, separation of powers, periodic, free Another Conflict of Interest and fair elections, access to and Having just returned from the For the 3rd time since team Unity Government has taken office,their exercise of power in accordance Music Festival directorate has refused to place any music festival ads Meeting of the Council for Foreign with the rule of law are not adhered with the observer. and Community Relations in to, then the OAS is an appropriate Barbados, 18 – 19 May 2017, I forum for deliberations on such The man in charge of placing music festival ads this year have again thought that it would be useful to matters, in order to help to peace- refused to place any such ads with the observer while placing ads with publicly share the position adopted other media houses including his own.We are told that it has something fully resolve the situation. There to do with print quality.Print quality or not,the observer is by far the most by Jamaica during that meeting, should be no disagreement there- circulated newspaper in St.Kitts and Nevis.The observer also operates having regard to discussions on fore that the OAS has been given a website with many times the number of hits that theirs. relations within the hemisphere and this role by our respective countries most specifically on develop- We placed a call to Minister for music festival Lindsay Grant who took and should be allowed to play its our number and promised to call us back but up to now nothing... ments in Venezuela. part. You will also be aware of the letter There is full justification for by our Prime Minister, the Most Jamaica’s attendance at meet- Free Passage Honourable Andrew Holness of ings of the OAS and we will con- 18th May 2017, in response to a tinue to do so and to consult with Passports are quite commonplace today, so commonplace that we take them letter from the Right Honourable the Member States so as to make for granted. Yet they are quite valuable documents, largely for what the freedom Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime our contribution to the formulation to travel that they allow. The real value of passports is linked to the request Minister of St. Vincent and the of well-informed decisions. printed on the inside back page. Ours says:- Grenadines, sharing his perception The Government of St Kitts Nevis requests and requires from all those whom it of discussions within the OAS on As small countries, the multilateral may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to Venezuela. system is essential for safeguarding afford such assistance and protection as may be necessary. our interests. Therefore, as an insti- The deteriorating situation in tution for deliberation and discus- Usually this request is enough to allow us, citizens and nationals of the Venezuela, including increasing Federation, entry, as of March 2017, into 136 countries; ranks 30th of 104 coun- sion, the OAS should be supported tries, and is 2nd best in the Caribbean. Sometimes, however, the request alone violence, significant loss of life, in this regard.

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