Dear Editor,
Much blame has been cast on the executive branch of Government for failing to present a budget that reflects the island’s dilemma after the passing of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Some members of Parliament expressed dissatisfaction in not receiving a financial statement that forecasts realistic measures of how to generate additional income to steer the island out of this seemingly endless quagmire.
Who is to blame? The responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of Parliamentarians and the Council of Ministers. If MPs were monitoring the Council of Ministers throughout last year, they would have been compelled to be accountable to the people and their supervisors. Is it not that the budget for the following year be completed by the 1st of September of the current year? If this is so, why was it not finalized then? So why put all the blame on this interim Government that took office only in mid-January?
Even after the passage of the hurricanes, why was the budget still on hold? Is it a strong possibility that the budget couldn’t be finalized because the then government had no clue where it will get monies from to substitute for the tremendous loss from the private sector? And is it not so that parliamentarians sat back and accepted this lack of accountability to the people? This is why it was so comical to listen to the two MPs who were part of that Council of Ministers.
If MPs were working earnestly, there would be no need for the torrents of useless questions. They would have had pointed inquires and dialogues on Friday, that would have forced the Ministers to return on Monday with precise answers for the people. This Council of Ministers presented a mediocre budget because MPs of the previous government did not do their job. They were too busy making sure that their Ministers stayed in power, instead of holding them accountable to the population and country.
In the same breath, when I listened to the budget debate, the conclusion is that it was just a boring presentation with hardly any substance. It showed that the Ministers did not prepare themselves well; neither in the presentation nor answering segments. They knew what the budget debate entails and so there was no excuse for this extremely poor performance.
I was amazed to hear how the majority of Ministers just rattle everything from a paper. It was clear that most of them had no connection to what they were presenting. But they need to understand that this population is alert and there is a huge difference between reading and just calling words. They also need to be aware that there is a major disparity between speaking to the population and just conducting a lecture.
If I were to grade each one of them, they will all get an F, with the exception of the Minister of Education Jorien Wuite. Although she spoke extremely fast in the beginning but slowed down in the end, one could follow the direction in which she wishes to lead her Ministry. What was lacking in her presentation is not speaking from heart when she could have done so. Also, consideration should be have been given to all listeners, even those who cannot read. So the information should have been presented at a slower pace and in simpler terms.
But as I have indicated in my preceding article, MP Theo Heyliger would be making the biggest mistake of his political career if he continues on the path of selecting amateurs to run the country. More was expected from the Minister of Finance, but I guess time will tell why his performance did not meet that expectation.
What continues to be confusing is to watch MPs reject the same budget that hosts their salaries, Parliament and the very Government. If there is no financial statement, then how can they monitor the Government?
Joslyn Morton
