Tabor says Parliament needs reforms to stop Gov’t concealing agreements with foreign countries and investors

There is a call for parliamentary reform to compel the full disclosure
of Government’s deals and agreements with various countries and
investors.

This call is voiced by the United Progressive Party  (UPP) – the main
political opposition – through its public relations officer, Damani
Tabor.

Tabor says the general position of the Party is that all Memoranda of
Understanding or Agreement between the Government of Antigua
and Barbuda and foreign interests must be public information.

He says the UPP is an organization that strongly believes in
transparency and accountability. Therefore, Opposition
parliamentarians, who are representing constituents, should have
sight of these documents.

Tabor says that nothing should be permitted to bypass Members
and be laid on the table without the MPs knowing what is contained
in these documents and agreements.

Accordingly, he says the UPP will be lobbying for reform of the
procedures to ensure that no government documentation receives
the approval of Parliament without the Opposition MPs having had a
chance to examine it.

As a matter of ethics, Tabor says, he is calling on the Browne
Administration to publicize all Agreements and MOU’s entered into
since taking office. 

According to the public relations officer, the current administration
seems to be running from accountability, and he believes that it
needs to publish all financial information pertaining to the
operations of Central Government.

It has been months since Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle asked for
the director of audit to present all the audited reports from the

statutory corporations and government entities to the Public
Accounts Committee. To date, this has not been done.

Meanwhile, Tabor says the Government continues to tax the people
out of existence while concealing their financial records.
However, he says the taxpayers need to know the type of wastage
that has been taking place.