One of the most contentious issues emerging from the Budget debate in the Upper and the Lower Houses of Parliament is the work of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the body responsible for scrutinising government spending and ensuring fiscal accountability.
PAC Chairman Ralph Thorne caught much attention when he made an impassioned plea, in his marathon reply to the Budget, for the government to allow him to investigate a $25 million loan for cricket development and the HOPE project.
Thorne pleaded: “Please, members on that committee, which I have the honour to chair, your numbers are majority numbers. But please, on behalf of the people of this country, allow me to do my work. Please, I beg you. Please, let me set the agenda. Please, let me investigate HOPE. Please, please, let me investigate KOMI [Kensington Oval Management Inc.]. Please, I beg you, Government, I beg you in your majority numbers. What now must I do? Must I go to the people of the country and lament my own failure as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee? I beg you, please, let me do my work.”
Several government ministers deflected blame back onto the opposition, but Leader of Government Business Senator Lisa Cummins sought to clarify the matter on Wednesday as she responded to concerns raised by fellow lawmakers that the committee appeared to be ineffective.
She presented official records of PAC meetings held between 2018 and 2024, noting that in the first session of Parliament (2018-2023), multiple discussions took place on issues, including those related to the Transport Board and the Barbados Water Authority.
In the second session of Parliament, which began after the 2022 general election, three PAC meetings were held in 2024—on June 3, June 24, and July 8.
“It is incorrect, it is misleading, and bordering on something perhaps even more problematic to suggest that this government has at any time objected to the functioning of the PAC,” Cummins insisted.
Both sides may argue their case, but the central issue remains: the PAC, a critical oversight body, is not functioning effectively. This benefits no one.
The PAC is mandated to examine public spending, ensuring that funds are used as intended and that those entrusted with public money are held accountable. When functioning properly, the committee can identify waste, mismanagement, and areas where government operations should be streamlined—benefiting both the public and the government itself. This, we believe, is a win-win for citizens and the government.
Transparency reassures citizens that their taxes are well spent and strengthens public trust in governance.
That is why it is deeply concerning that the PAC appears to have been inactive for over six months. The reasons—whether scheduling conflicts, lack of quorum, or political manoeuvring—are irrelevant. The blame game is unacceptable.
The bottom line is that government spending is not being properly scrutinised.
Senator Lindell Nurse’s call for Parliament to find a “workable solution” is timely. This vital committee cannot remain paralysed. The government must be held accountable for its management of the country’s financial affairs and the public deserves transparency. Parliament must act urgently to address this issue with urgency and ensure the PAC fulfills its mandate.
The question now is, what steps will be taken? Will the opposition leader and PAC members finally convene, or will Parliament need to impose alternative measures to ensure the committee does its job? Much is at stake. The public’s trust and our boast of good governance will be in doubt if we fail to correct this grave error.
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