IN A MOTION to Adopt the Second Report of the Standing Finance Committee to devote $3.8 billion of more funds into this year’s budget, the government allocated $190 million for the Office of the Attorney General to pay legal fees.
In other words, to ensure that lawyers who get large briefs from the government get paid millions in fees – a piece of the pie for loyalty to the government.
This $190 million dollars is in addition to the allocation of $63.5 million for 2023 making the allocation for legal fees $253 million, now that’s a lot of lawyer fees. While some government MPs would blame the Opposition for having them pay these hefty increased lawyer fees to defend government decisions in Parliament, the opposition is doing its job to fight for the rights of the people as the government constantly fails to respond to requests for information.The government’s Minister of Energy and Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister accused the 0position leader of being a hypocrite highlighting this increase when it’s alleged that one of the individuals well known to the opposition is being used as the frontman to increase the bill for litigations to the state.
However, in my humble opinion, it’s the job of the opposition to raise these issues in Parliament and note it’s also the right, a constitutional right for every citizen to gain access to a court of law.
In fact, most of these cases only were brought against the government because of it’s own refusal to answer a request through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) when the Government did not respond.
It came to light that almost all of the FOIA requests are not complied with by the government which then triggers legal action by an apparent “legal luminary” of the opposition because of the need to get the public information.
Therefore, the solution is simple: the government needs to stop hiding information from the public, stop doing deals behind a cloak, behind our backs that disguises or conceals the truth from the public.
Why can’t we get transparency when we the citizens pay our government’s salaries and vote them in to represent us in Trinidad and Tobago?
The answer may be as simple as the obvious one. They get into politics to enrich themselves and their families and not to serve the people. For selfish reasons and to ensure their own well-being.
Dr Neil Gosine is an insurance executive. He is also the treasurer of the UNC and a former chairman of the National Petroleum Marketing Company of Trinidad and Tobago. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, a Master’s in Business Administration MBA, BSC in Mathematics and a BA in Administrative Studies. The views and comments expressed in this column are not necessarily those of AZP News, a Division of Complete Image Limited.
Why can’t we get transparency when we the citizens pay our government’s salaries and vote them in to represent us in Trinidad and Tobago? It will not happen when we get a change a separation from the Executive branch from the Parliament.
Then the Parliament will have a stronger oversight. Ministers of Govt sitting in Parliament when their colleagues are before the Parliamentary Committees will bring transparency to the Parliament and by extension the citizens of the Republic.