PPP accuses APNU/AFC of abusing local govt system

– to honour its financial campaign supporters

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is accusing the APNU/AFC coalition government of working through the local government system to honour its financial campaign supporters.

The PPP Central Executive member Dr Roger Luncheon was adamant that Government has been using funds from local Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and municipalities to fulfill what he called a grand design to provide patronage to those who had supported the current ruling administration during the 2015 elections campaign.

PPP Central Executive member, Dr Roger Luncheon

“We must never forget (that), very early in 2015, at the beginning of the David Granger Administration, unchallenged, their spokespersons have made it clear that they have a debt, and they have to reward those who have made financial commitments to the political campaign and (are) deemed responsible for getting them in office,” Luncheon said in his usual inimitable style.

He added that while it might not have been highlighted, considerable sums of public funds are involved in the operation of government systems.

“At the level of the regions, appropriations are made by Parliament. In 2017, billions of dollars for current and capital expenditures were authorised for the 10 administrative regions. When we get to the 62 NDCs and the nine municipalities, we’re talking about more billions – money paid for by the residents through rates and taxes; not forgetting the subventions this year are provided to the NDCs and hundreds of millions (are) provided to the municipalities,” he said.

“What the PPP wants to insist (on) is that this is a lot of money, the expenditure of which is managed by criteria. When the local government system has problems with procedures, then the possibilities and the likelihood (exist) of those tens of billions of dollars being ineffectively and inefficiently used, not for the benefit of the people, but (to fulfil) the grand design of this administration,” Luncheon asserted.

Questioning the reason for the overturn of procedures that previously existed within the NDCs, Luncheon said tens of billions of dollars are involved in Government’s plans. These “ills”, he said, have not only been chronicled by his party, but (by) other organisations, including Transparency International, which is seeing little or no transparency in the operations.

He said there has been no tendering by the board, and the way “they operate” in the local government system is very disturbing. “There is a level of secrecy that is associated with the outcome of Tender Board meetings,” he charged.

Luncheon says the situation has a lot to do with money, and not just ordinary ineptitude and incompetence, although those traits are also being used to “fulfill a grand design to loot the small treasuries” in the local authority areas and regions in order to provide patronage to those who have been identified as worthy of receiving such.

“We have called repeatedly on the administration to come clean on this matter. Disclosures have been made of the weaknesses (which) have been manipulated to serve the grand design of this administration,” Luncheon added in his disclosure.