CHAIRMAN of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Rick Hou says after examining the 2017 budget, he is disappointed that the good intentions may not be achieved through this budget.
Speaking on Tuesday in parliament on the budget, Mr Hou said unlike the previous two budgets, the 2017 one is somewhat unclear as to the policy direction.
“I like what I am hearing about the budget, but I do not think I like what I saw in it,” he said.
The former Finance Minister said all the assurances made in the budget speech are empty.
“I would like to believe his (Finance Minister) head is in the right place, but it is difficult to say with absolute certainty that his heart is also in the right place.
“I said this because we have all heard him say that twice before already: in terms of the 2015 and 2016 budgets.
“The Minister would like to have us believe that “… the 2017 Budget will deliver record $4.1 billion in spending …”
“Well, the Minister should be the first to know that 2017 is not record level. In fact the two previous years were higher than 2017, which 2016 revised budget was a whopping $4.426 billion and 2015 actual was $4.25 billion.
“So the obvious question worth asking is, where did all this money go? What have we got to show for spending $8.7 billion in less than 24 months? Or to ask a more relevant question, how much of the DCCG development priorities have we achieved with that huge expenditure in the period?
The Small Malaita MP said he threw his full support behind the 2015 and 2016 budgets because of their convincing target towards policy goals.
“But Sir, sadly for me all that enthusiasm had been lost. I didn’t see service delivery improving after two years of record spending.
“I did not see any new roads, or wharves, airports constructed with that money despite all the promises under those two budgets.
“So Sir, what I am saying is that those have been two disappointing years for our country.”
Mr Hou said he was hoping for fresh new insights under the 2017 budget, but it seem to continue with the same tune again.
“I had hoped for inspiration from the Minister, but even the Minister himself did not express any enthusiasm himself – he appeared subdued and even looked uninterested.
“I was saying to myself, Minister if you’re going to show you don’t believe in what you’re saying then what do you expect?
“Sir, with that in mind, and after having examined the estimates in a little more detail, I am disappointed that these good intentions may not be achieved through this budget again.
“I am also concerned that there are real risks to the 2016 budget attaining its objectives.”
By EDNAL PALMER
