Michael Abrahams | Can we trust the Government?

The Government is supposed to be an entity for the people. The institution is supposed to have our backs, protect us and do what is in the country’s best interest. Unfortunately, from both sides of the political divide, successive governments in Jamaica have repeatedly failed us, and the present one is no exception. Since the Jamaica Labour Party has been in power, we have witnessed a series of scandals and decisions that have been made that were not in our best interest. Understandably, these events have seriously eroded our confidence in them.

For example, in 2018, Dr Andrew Wheatley was relieved of his portfolio in the energy ministry after a damning report by Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis. The report concerned the operations of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica and its affiliate, the state-owned oil refinery Petrojam, and pointed to “explicit acts of nepotism” at both entities, in addition to deficiencies in human-resource recruitment and management practices. Then, in 2020, Wheatley was referred to the director of corruption prosecution following a report claiming he was “dishonest” after being questioned during a probe into donations made by Petrojam to various organisations and causes between April 2016 and March 2018.

In 2019, then Education Minister Ruel Reid was charged with breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, conspiracy to defraud, misconduct in a public office at common law, and breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act. It was alleged that over $50 million of public funds was diverted to the personal use of Reid and Caribbean Maritime Institute President Fritz Pinnock through several schemes.

That same year, the Office of the Contractor General slammed the Holness administration, the minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Daryl Vaz, and the Urban Development Corporation for their role in the sale of beach property to Puerto Caribe Properties Limited, operators of Moon Palace Jamaica Grande Hotel. The entity claimed the Government virtually gave away a US$13.5-million property for US$7.2 million.

More recently, in 2022, the Integrity Commission reported that while he was minister of national security from 2016 to 2018, Robert Montague knowingly granted gun licences to persons with criminal traces. The commission’s report cited six instances where Montague overruled the Firearm Licensing Authority and approved gun permits to persons with criminal histories whose firearm applications were denied or had their licences revoked.

SERIOUS QUESTIONS

Montague subsequently resigned from his post as minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation. Interestingly, he had been assigned to this post following scandals in 2021, with the Airports Authority of Jamaica’s law-breaking investment in start-up private equity firm First Rock Capital Holdings and the Clarendon Alumina Production Limited.

Serious questions have been asked of Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Chistopher Tufton as well. In 2020, the firm Market Me received contracts with a total value of more than $80 million through the health ministry and organisations falling under its portfolio. However, it is alleged that none of the contracts went to public tender.

Then, last year, a two-year audit of the Ministry of Health & Wellness’ COVID-19 expenditures revealed several breaches of finance ministry regulations, including the absence of formal contracts totalling more than $400 million with 14 of 15 hotels and suppliers for infrastructural works. The auditor general and her team concluded that the ministry lacked transparency in its payments, was unable to show formal contracts for infrastructural works, could not confirm how money transferred to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development was used, displayed weaknesses in the controls over COVID-19 fixed assets acquisition, and committed a regulatory breach in the preparation and maintenance of payment vouchers.

Earlier this year, a billion-dollar fraud was uncovered at Stocks & Securities Limited. It was later discovered that the institution was flagged in 2017 by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) for a “culture of non-compliance and mismanagement of client funds” and was deemed “a problem institution”.

The FSC noted that for the five years and six months leading up to February 2017, the company had failed to file its annual report for the period up to June 30, 2016, failed to file audited accounts within 90 days of the close of a financial year, and granted credit to related parties in violation of orders issued in 2013. The FSC knew all this, but failed to protect the public.

FURORE

The recent salary hikes announced for parliamentarians and Cabinet ministers have caused a furore among many Jamaicans. The salaries of the political directorate were increased by significant amounts, some by over $10 million in this year alone, while many civil servants, including teachers, nurses and police, struggle to make ends meet.

In December 2019, Finance Minister Nigel Clarke signed two contracts worth almost $1 billion with international consulting firm EY (Ernst & Young) Jamaica to cover the compensation review regarding public-sector salaries. However, the Government has blocked access to the consultancy report, saying the document is in “draft”.

Subsequently, the prime minister announced, for parliamentarians and ministers, somewhat vague job descriptions lacking key performance indicators and how to measure them and hold the culpable accountable.

To add insult to injury, the Government has refused to sign the Code of Conduct produced by the Integrity Commission. The document speaks to the Seven Principles of Public Life:

1. Selflessness

2. Integrity

3. Objectivity

4. Accountability

5. Openness

6. Honesty

7. Leadership

And to top it all off, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill, has the brazen audacity to challenge Jamaicans to provide evidence that our politicians are corrupt, despite the above-mentioned litany of woes.

This administration’s unpalatable gaslighting arrogance and refusal to sign to agree to uphold these basic principles of integrity speaks volumes. It strongly suggests that these people do not wish to be held accountable for any missteps or misdeeds they may commit.

How can we trust them?

Michael Abrahams is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, social commentator and human-rights advocate. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @mikeyabrahams.