Bmda: Quacks and invalids

The next time you’re in TCD waiting to fork out your taxes to the Government, take a look at the notice posted on the window of every kiosk.

This seemingly innocuous note states that every payment made to the Accountant General must be confirmed by a receipt. Those are the Government’s words, not mine.

Move on to Parliament on Friday when we heard that “we don’t have to receipt each and every item”. This statement was delivered in an attempt to fend off the lingering and unanswered questions over the billing practices – or lack thereof, at the Berkeley construction site. Those were the Premier’s words, not mine.

So let’s get this straight. When you, the taxpayer, renew your driver’s licence – a transaction typically costing $90 and taking almost as long as the Berkeley project will take to complete – you’ll receive a receipt. But when the contractor at Bermuda’s largest capital project is involved in a $700,000 transaction – necessary to secure the $70 million contract, the Government doesn’t require a receipt or any proof of payment whatsoever.

And so the standoff between the Government and the Auditor continues. The Auditor is now resorting to legal action to unearth the financial details of a taxpayer-funded project. This obstruction is more shocking when you consider that the Attorney General’s office – you know, the politically appointed PLP one – indicated that it was inappropriate to withhold information requested by the Auditor.

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