P.M. Briceño Stresses Accountability and Transparency During Hurricane Relief

Prime Minister John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño has wasted no time in responding to the needs of residents who have been most affected by Hurricane Lisa.  Various government and non-government organizations have also sprung into action to provide much needed humanitarian relief.  On the part of the Briceño administration, monies have been deposited into the Constituency Development Funds to assist residents, in various communities, who have suffered major damage and significant losses.  Those monies are set aside from the public purse where transparency and accountability are key factors in ensuring that those who are most in need of government assistance are getting the necessary financial aid.  In speaking with the media on Monday, P.M. Briceño emphasized the need for accountability from area representatives who are disbursing those funds to their constituents.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We have to remember that this is the people’s money and we are not going to waste it.  With the Constituency Development Funds, the monies that we have given them so far, they have to give account of every single dollar that is spent.  They have to give invoices and they have to give signed [receipts] from the people that received what we are giving them.  So that is one thing.  Secondly, we can’t, how could I say, we can’t throw away through the window all the hard work that we’ve done to get us so far where the IMF has given us a glowing report on the work that we have been doing.  But at the same time, we have to remember that it’s about people.  How is it that we can make their lives better?  We have said that one of the ways that we can get people out of poverty is starting them with a decent home.  So this is an opportunity that we can take to be able tio build these homes for our people and decent homes.  They are not going to be big houses, but houses that are designed in such a way that they can expand them with time and we even give the recipients of these homes the plans so that they know exactly how to be able to expand.  The temptation is there, the pressure is there but at the same time we have to make sure that we get the assistance to the people that need it most at this time.”