In the House of Assembly on Nov. 14, opposition member Julian Fraser complained about the government’s swelling budget compared with what he said are insufficient public services.
Mr. Fraser (R-D3) said he was particularly dissatisfied with the services rendered for the $360 million laid out in the previous budget, and added that he had “put accounting officers on notice” that when they come to Standing Finance Committee deliberations he wants to see how much money was spent on each subhead.
The closed-door SFC deliberations, which started after the HOA meeting, are currently ongoing.
Mr. Fraser went on to claim that when he was first elected in 1999 the government budget was around $119 million and the services rendered were superior to those now, such as bush-cutting programmes for retirees, pothole repairs, and maintenance of government facilities.
“The territory hasn’t gotten any bigger, we’re not growing any faster, and the services that we’re getting are not there,” he said. “Where is the money going?”
He added that his criticism was not levied at any one ministry, but as an example of a government shortfall he pointed to the leaky roof at Ebenezer Thomas Primary School.
“These are not gigantic issues,” he said. “They’re not insurmountable problems. They’re just things that need attention. Someone needs to pay attention to these little things that can cause huge embarrassment to our government that’s unnecessary.”