"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
Kudos to the House of Assembly for passing legislation this month to help reform social assistance in the territory. But leaders must not stop now. The Public Assistance (Amendment) Bill, …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Recent assistance reforms a good starting point”
The House of Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that aims to further reform the Assistance Grants Programme, which has been dramatically revamped over the past two years in keeping with …
Though some needy residents benefitted from the nearly $4 million in Covid-19 Assistance Grants handed out by House of Assembly members during the pandemic, others abused the programme in the …
Continue reading “House of Assembly grants programme blasted by new report”
At elected leaders’ discretion, the government awarded nearly $23 million in assistance grants between January 2019 and May 2022 without adequate accountability or transparency, including more than $200,000 to one …
Assistance grants that were formerly disbursed at elected officials’ discretion will now be administered by the Social Development Department after the Commission of Inquiry blasted the existing system for a …
Continue reading “‘Unfettered discretion’ out the door for grants”
In 2009, government auditors blasted the House of Assembly Assistance Grants Programme for a lack of transparency and accountability, noting that legislators had approved constituents’ funding requests for items including …
Governor John Rankin has instructed Police Commissioner Mark Collins to launch several criminal investigations recommended by the recently published Commission of Inquiry report. The investigations will probe four areas, Mr. …
Continue reading “UPDATE: Guv announces criminal probes advised by COI”
The Commission of Inquiry called House of Assembly Clerk Phyllis Evans to testify on July 14, asking her why incomplete applications for pandemic aid were accepted, how ministers decide who …
Continue reading “Clerk: HOA was ‘overwhelmed’ with Covid applications”
The Commission of Inquiry questioned former Premier Dr. Orlando Smith last week about belongerships that Cabinet allegedly awarded improperly just before the start of his 2011- 2019 tenure as premier. …
Continue reading “COI interrogates former premier on belongership”
Focusing on elected officials’ financial interests and how they go about allocating $1.8 million each year in assistance grants, the Commission of Inquiry resumed public hearings again this week. COI …
Continue reading “Inquiry probes Registry of Interests, assistance grants”
