| The Editor The Anguillian Dear Sir:“…ANGUILLA SAID TO HAVE LOST $18 MILLION”There has been some talk about the above matter which recently appeared in the public domain via the internet and in the print media. It all springs from a statement the Governor is reported to have made to the Executive Council early in September in which he said the lost money resulted from an unauthorised MOU. |
| For sometime now, it has been said that matters discussed in the EXCO are confidential but I wish to state quite categorically my belief that when a matter is in the public’s interest it cannot be considered confidential. This is not any sensitive issue that should be hidden in any form or fashion from the people of the island.During the election campaign the Government, now in office, said repeatedly that one of the first pieces of legislation it would enact was a Freedom of Information Act. Instead, we have had tax bill after tax bill. With the interest the Government showed during the campaign about keeping the public informed, it should not fuss about how the information came out that Anguilla had lost 18 million dollars in these very difficult times. It was unwise for anyone in the Government to enter into an unauthorised MOUon his own when in fact the Tourism Investment Committee and EXCO were the proper channels to go through. It should have been realised thatany agreement outside of that arrangement would eventually compromise any formal agreement and this in fact has been the case with the loss of the 18 million dollars.This Government cannot really accuse the past Government of giving away the public’s money in a case like this.The public has a right to know and so it does not matter how the information got out. Enlightened Member of the Public |
ADVERTISEMENT
