BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Social Security Board is under public scrutiny for which $80M has been expended on the Beacon Heights Project that the reportedly cash-strapped construction Technologies Limited (CONTEC) was contracted to construct 191 houses.
And while some people are calling for the report on that project which was recently presented to Cabinet by Deputy Prime Minister Sam Condor to be made public, Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas is not in support of that view.
In his response to a caller to his ‘Ask the PM’ radio programme on ZIZ Tuesday (Nov. 22) last, who asked for that the report to be made public, Dr. Douglas said, “I do not really support the view that information is not being made available to the public. I think it would be very unprecedented for a report that has been submitted to the Cabinet from the Minister responsible for Social Security to be made public. I think it is unnecessary so to leave mainly because the contents of the report that came to government are very similar to the contents of the statements that have been issued by the Social Security Board.
“In fact,” he added, “the report that came to Cabinet is a report sent to the Minister signed by all of the members of the Board. And it is in that report, that I said last week, which clearly indicates that there has not been anything untold with regard to the matter of the Beacon Heights Project, that all monies that have been spent.”
Dr. Douglas declared that he could only quote what Minister Condor said in a broadcast to the public on the matter and that he is certain the Minister was properly briefed by members of the Social security Board.
“I am sure also in this case which includes the Director of Social Security, and so I don’t believe that there is anything that the Minister could have said that would not have found full support from the Board report. So, I think the matter has been well-brought to the public…that is the facts of the matter that been brought to the public by Social Security.”
The PM postulated that one could not do anything to people who seem to be thinking that there is something untold in the Beacon Heights saga, but noted it is the freedom of thought that people have in the Federation.
“It is the freedom of expression that people have in the country to also express openly and freely that they think something is wrong. But I can only rely on the information that has been provided to me, information that has been provided to the Cabinet by the Minister responsible for Social Security, who in turn received a report from the Board of the Social Security.”
Dr. Douglas noted that the Social Security Board includes the Director of that institution and he could not see what else to say to the public, but intoned that “the public has a right to continue, I think, to discuss the matter as much as it would like to.
The PM noted also that he is uncertain if there is a need for a commission of inquiry into the Beacon Heights saga.
“And that is why I am not certain if there is any need for a commission of inquiry into this matter. I understand that the Chamber has issued a statement that it has put a small team together to advise it what it should do in terms of looking into the matter. That is very, very interesting and I myself would want to be able to have shared with me, shared with the public, what is the report that that small team of persons would be providing to the Chamber in advising them how they should proceed to further look into this matter.”
In his previous ‘Ask the PM’ programme, Dr. Douglas referred to the Social Security Board’s report to Cabinet and dismissed suggestions that cost overruns of that institution-financed Beacon Heights project would undermine the viability of the Fund.
He noted that while there had been some additional expenses, the Board was satisfied that all monies spent were accounted for.
A caller to that programme alleged that individuals on the Social Security Board have an interest in the project, to which Dr. Douglas said he was unaware.
“I want to publically challenge the Board that if there is any member on the Board who has a particular interest in this development, which is beyond the interest that he or she should have as a member of the Board, in other words if there is any profitable interest that comes into conflict with his position, then it must be brought to the attention of the authorities and the appropriate action must be taken,” the Prime Minister said.
Prior to Dr. Douglas’ pronouncement on the issue, Minister Condor told the nation that he was satisfied that the structures put in place to manage the project conformed to the “highest standard of accountability and good governance”.
