NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Leader of the Free National Movement (FNM) Michael Pintard, while applauding the government's promotion of public servants during this fiscal period, noted that the prime minister's accounting figures on those promotional exercises must be fact-checked.

The nation's leader, during his Mid-Year Budget Presentation in the House of Assembly Wednesday morning, noted that government aggregate expenditure saw an increase during this fiscal period and he attributed some of it to public service promotions.

The Prime Minister said government paid out $417.6 million for public servants to be compensated due to planned promotions and salary adjustments, an overall increase in spending to the tune of $$18.2 million more than was spent in the previous fiscal year.

Pintard applauded the promotional exercises, but he also urged the government to answer why it continues to spend what he believes are exorbitant amounts of money on foreign envoys and the reintroduction of retired public servants to the workforce.

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