PM – ‘I am not taking the blame’

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has declared that he is not taking the blame for the late payment of income support to banana farmers who had their farms ravished by Hurricane Tomas in October, last year.{{more}}

Gonsalves, addressing banana stakeholders on Thursday, May 11, said that the late payment of the third portion of the income support had nothing to do with the Government, but rather the bureaucracy.

“I take no responsibility, I take no blame for that,” the Prime Minister said, adding that he had gotten word from the Accountant General that payments were expected to have been made on Monday, May 16.

He explained that the lists that had been prepared for earlier payments needed to be reviewed.

Gonsalves further stated that time needed to be given to allow checks to be made to see that work had actually been done on the fields. However, the process to clean up the lists was taking longer than expected.

Gonsalves said that he came to understand that there was an inner “tug-of-war” between one side of Government and the other.

He explained also that while all farmers were being given the $400 per acre and fertilizer to assist in the rehabilitation of the banana industry, income support was only for smaller farmers with no other income.

Gonsalves said that he had given instructions to the Accountant General not to make payments on any lists that bore the names of civil servants.

“The money was intended as a support income; people with independent income will be omitted,” Gonsalves said. (DD)