Published 31 October 2017
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
A call for the Team Unity Government to pay
small contractors and business persons promptly
Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 31st 2017 – Leader of the Opposition in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has called on Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris to pay small contractors and business persons for the services they have rendered to the Team Unity administration.
He said Tuesday that over the past few weeks, persons have complained that the Team Unity Government over the past few months, has not been paying them for services that they have rendered to the authorities.
“This is totally unacceptable,” said Dr. Douglas, who recalled that Dr. Harris during his tenure as Minister of Finance in his administration, “without my knowledge, delayed payments to small contractors and business persons who had rendered services to the government. This apparently was in an effort to make it appear through creative accounting that the financial position of the government was stronger and he wanted to see a big surplus.”
He said the Washington, DC-based International Monterey Fund had instituted measures to ensure it never happened again.
“It would appear that it seems to be happening again and from the increasing number of complaints received, this habit may have started,” said Dr. Douglas, former prime minister and minister of finance.
“Today, I publicly call for the cessation of this habit by Dr. Harris in his capacity as the Minister of Finance and further call for the prompt payments to all small contractors and all persons who have rendered services to the government and payments remain outstanding,” said Dr. Douglas.
He noted that small contractors and individuals have their own financial obligations to their employees and business associates and must be treated with respect at all times.
File photo The Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas
