PAC report on Urban Renewal expected in September

Wed, Jul 22nd 2015, 10:59 AM

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Hubert Chipman said yesterday he expects the committee to complete its investigation into Urban Renewal next month and table its report in the House of Assembly before September.

"We hope to conclude the report in early August and table our report," Chipman told The Nassau Guardian.

"I think the committee needs to meet prior to the summons going out, so we can all agree on a date that we can bring the co-chairs and whoever else should come before the committee."

Last week, Urban Renewal Commission (URC) Co-Chair Algernon Allen said he is eager to appear before the PAC to testify about the Urban Renewal Programme now that the auditor general's report on that program has been tabled in the House of Assembly. Prime Minister Perry Christie tabled the report last Wednesday.

"We at all times were willing to appear before the PAC," Allen said. "Now that this report has been laid we are eager to appear before the PAC because Urban Renewal is a wonderful story." Allen and Co-Chair Cynthia "Mother" Pratt had refused to appear before the PAC until the report was tabled.

The PAC is using the report in its investigation into Urban Renewal. According to the report, leaked to The Nassau Guardian in April, Auditor General Terrance Bastian found that there was a lack of accountability, transparency and due diligence in the management of the URC's Small Home Repairs (SHR) program, its execution and the quality of work done. He also found that 11 contractors were paid $171,000 for work that was either incomplete or never done.

The revelation set off a firestorm around the program. House Speaker Dr. Kendal Major had directed the PAC to "stay its hand" in relation to any investigation surrounding the auditor general's report. He ruled that because the report had not been tabled in the House, the PAC could not take "cognizance of the report". He determined that it was up to the House to decide whether it wished to cause the report to be tabled. Major made his decision after an opinion from the Office of the Attorney General said the PAC's investigation into Urban Renewal was "legally improper".

A copy of the opinion was given to Major on April 22. The opinion said the course of action taken by the PAC in summoning the Urban Renewal co-chairs, after they refused to appear before the PAC, was legally improper because the auditor general's report had not been laid before the House. Chipman intends to summon both co-chairs in early August.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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