[00:00:01] Speaker A: The views and opinions of the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the management and staff of Guardian Radio.
[00:00:12] Speaker B: I'm not afraid I'm not afraid to take a stand Take a stand Everybody, everybody Come take my, Come take my we'll walk this road together through the storm Whatever weather, cold, the war Just let me know that you're not alone if you feel like you.
[00:00:56] Speaker A: Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, ladies and gentlemen to Z Live. Your host.
So glad you could join us here today on Guardian Radio, 96.9 FM on this beautiful Monday afternoon.
If you want to give us a call today on the show, please feel free to do so on any of the following numbers. You can call us on 242-300-5720. That's 242-30057.
Also call us on 325-4316, 325-4316 or 325-4259. That's 325-4259. You can call us from the Family Islands on 2423-00-5720. That's 2423:00-5720. You can call us from the family Islands on 2423-00- 5720. You can text us. Sorry, you can text us on 422-4796 or you can WhatsApp me on 439-304-3393043. That's when you're trying to do two things at one time.
So glad you could join us. I hope you had a great holiday weekend, enjoyed your Labor Day and fit and ready to go for the rest of the week.
The budget debate begins today, began today.
It is a debate that is supposed to provide an opportunity for the parliamentarians to vet the proposal put to them by the hands. I wanted. I want you to recognize that in theory.
In theory, the Minister Finance is obeying the constitution by submitting a request submitting a estimate of revenue and expenditures expenditure to the Parliament to request of the Parliament permission to funds in accordance with the proposal he has put in the budget.
So in a very real sense, if this were a private enterprise, a management team, the executive management team would be presenting to the board of Directors a annual budget for the year.
And they would be saying to the board we expect to revenue of this order. Now the board doesn't vote on the revenue. The board might ask questions about whether the.
The assumptions and the forecast sense to the extent that they are believable and achievable.
But they don't vote on them. There may be some justification provided by the CFO about the plan budget, the executive team about the plan forecast.
But in terms of the expenditure, the board would say, no, we don't think that you ought to spend X amount on salaries. We don't think you ought to spend X amount on this, that and the next thing to cut it down here and cut it down there. In a theoretical sense, in a theoretical sense, that is what should and could in a parliament of the Bahamas.
The parliament of the Bahamas could say to the Minister of finance, you spend $8 million on this, you plan to spend $50 million on travel.
We do not agree, theoretically speaking, but for that to happen, many members would not.
And for that to happen, most members would have to vote against it. More would have to vote against that provision allocation than 4.
If you lose a vote on the budget, then the government don't have no majority and all the confidence in the government doesn't exist and there may be no choice but for the prime minister to call an election.
So in practice, the government will have the numbers to support what it has put forward to the parliament.
And so the question of can I have permission to spend X education x amount in finance X? The answer would be for the most part, yes, because the majority of members of the government, the government will be in the majority and would get that answer in the positive.
So I'm just giving you a theoretical, I was giving you a theoretical view of what, what is supposed to be happening insofar as the budget is concerned.
So we're not going to likely get a vote that disrupts the ability of the government to move the budget forward.
But we could get in the debate, we could get very well founded, scrutinized, commented upon issues arising in the budget and that that could be an enlightenment to the public. It could call suspicion on what the government is doing. And that can have its own set of influences, even if it makes the government what we better check this. We they didn't see we can't be doing this now we got to look at different.
Will that happen? Well, it depends on now how the opposition approaches the matter because don't expect to get any such scrutiny from the government.
I mean, it doesn't matter. That's the PLP in office.
Generally speaking, you are not going to get anything other than that from the government members. The government members are going to talk about we're doing this and they're going to say we're decreasing that and then going to get some bam Bam, bam on the desk. And, and, and all is rosy and hunky dory in the land of the living.
Well, the opposition has to do its job and it has to be vigilant in reading through the budget.
And it should ask as many questions as is required to give it an enlightenment on what the government is doing with its money. With the government. And I say it's not the government's money, but the public's money.
There's not one nickel nor dime received into the public treasury that belongs to the government of the Bahamas other than in trust.
And whatever expenditure the government of Bahamas does, it does not do for its own benefit or the benefit of his auntie, uncle, cousins, friends or anybody else. It does for the benefit of being in public in general and search your money.
And it would be left to the what? To the. To the opposition to hold the government to account for that money. That's it. That's it. Eight people in the House of Assembly. That's it. That's what you got.
It's all you got.
[00:08:58] Speaker C: And they got to do it in
[00:08:59] Speaker A: the House of Assembly. You can't. You can't stop it in the Senate. The Senate. The Senate cannot stop anything about the budget happening. Nothing. I don't care how much noise they make or raise. Even if the government members decide they don't like something, Senate can't do nothing.
The House assembly has to do the job.
[00:09:19] Speaker D: And so.
[00:09:22] Speaker A: And so the debate will be as robust, As robust as the opposition makes it.
You got it. So let me tell you again, right? Just so you know.
Oh, you went to the polls and you voted for the government.
[00:09:47] Speaker E: Boom.
[00:09:48] Speaker A: Wonderful. TLT is the government.
You voted, went to the polls and voted for the opposition.
They're not opposition.
Guess what?
You have given an awesome responsibility to the F M because that's all you got to protect the wall, protect the gate, to protect the line. That's it. House of Sam. That's it. The F and M.
And those of you who did not vote and think it doesn't matter, you check it out.
You didn't vote for the F M. But that's all you got in the Parliament to protect your interests. Otherwise, the government go into Parliament and do anything it wishes, uncommitted upon, unscrutinized, etc. Saving and except for there's an opposition.
And that is how it works. You don't like Michael Pinta. Too bad, too sad. He is what you got. He's the leader of the opposition. You don't like Rollins. You don't like Thompson, you don't like fr, you don't like White and you don't like Deal and, and, and, and what's his name for M. I'm so sorry you don't like him. Too bad, too sad. That's all. We have got to toe the line.
And it don't matter whether you support them or not. They are all you got.
That's how our system works.
And your interests will be as protected and guarded as they make it in the House of Assembly. Now I talked to them because outside the House you got, you got the medium, you got these shows, you've got people like us who might know some things and so forth, but in the House of Assembly that's what you got. And their votes, their comments will matter.
Why you ain't voting on that? Because it's nonsense. They doing that's nonsense. I'll not support it.
And they get to tell you that on live television.
That's it.
Oh, we don't. We only stuck with these two parties, F and mplp. You got that right. In House assembly today. That's it.
Even if you the COI co opted a member in the House of Assembly. And now I don't have no member in the House Assembly.
What now is assembly today?
33 PLP Members of Parliament, 29 or more in the Cabinet of the Bahamas and 8 FM moment on all of them are park benches.
That's all you got? That's it.
That's it.
Today they don't do their job. Things slip through. Dog eat your lunch. Dog eat my lunch.
You're listening to Z Live. I'm Trivagal Lang, your host. We'll be back after this break.
[00:13:19] Speaker B: Let me know that you're not alone. I'll update you.
[00:13:27] Speaker E: Budgeting and saving, yes. Investing check. But what if you could do more? With an RF brokerage account, you can get priority access to local investment opportunities right as they come to the market. Never miss a bond or new share offering again. Plus, you can house all your investments in one place and benefit from Expert investment advice. Brokeragefgroup.com to start doing more today, some conditions apply. RF money at work. Wendy's and Coca Cola are giving you the chance to experience the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans. July 3rd through 5th. Upgrade any premium lunch combo to a large with a CO product for your chance to win. Win cash prizes, travel vouchers or the grand prize, a VIP trip for two to ESSENCE Fest. Grab a Dave Single, Asiago Ranch Chicken Club or three piece tenders combo today. Eat pink, sip Coke, Win big with Wendy's and Coca Cola. Rules and restrictions apply.
[00:14:23] Speaker F: Hope still lives in community. Join the Jenny Dean Caring and Sharing Cancer Support group for the Hope Walk 2026 on Saturday, June 13th at 6am at Goodmans Bay. Walk alongside survivors, patients, caregivers and families as we come together in support. Enjoy fellowship, vendors, activities, activities and our Inspiring Hope concert. Immediately following the walk,
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[00:14:52] Speaker B: I'm not afraid I'm not afraid to take a stand Take a stand Everybody, everybody come take my, come take my we'll walk this road together through the storm Whatever weather cold or warm if you feel like you.
[00:15:20] Speaker A: Welcome back. Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to Z Live. I'm Shivago Lang, your host. So glad that you could join us here today on Guardian 29 FM on this beautiful Monday afternoon. If you want to give us a call, the numbers to do so are 3236232 or 325 or 4316 or 325-4259.
You can call us on the family islands on 242-300-5720. You can text us 196 or you can WhatsApp me on 439-30463.
So the budget debate begin began today and that debate should reflect the government's justifying its numbers. Don't see you can get up there and talk, rally talk, you can get up there and talk. But oh who win and who lose and we show them and we show the next one and we did this and that. But budget debate is about the numbers.
Why are you spending X amount on on salaries, on travel, on leases, on consultants on this. What is the public going to get out of that expenditure? What can the public expect? And I don't want you oh we can give you more employees, we can give you more job. No.
What if you're really doing a budget debate supposed to reflect and the government and opposition is supposed to then say well we don't see that, we don't understand that. We don't appreciate that because this is that and the next thing and they're supposed to have that kind of back and forth. It's a debate not no you get up there and read no speech. No no the speech but the people them at the ministry write for you and you go read all the speech. That's lazy nonsense crap. That's the but the the parliament of the Bahamas is a bit at the be chamber a debating chamber. The budget communication should be A written something because that's a broad statement for both local and international consumption. But the debate ought to be people so aware knowledgeable about their ministries and the monies being spent in those ministries that they are supposed to be able to give an account for it without resorting to any speech of iron.
You should have notes. You can have notes but you shouldn't be sitting there reading. And so Ms. Madam Speaker, I want to let you know that our ministry will be engaging a answer. That's nonsense. I'm telling you that's nonsense. That's what I was not. I was not. I was taught that that is not how you're supposed to do it in the House of Assembly and so forth.
Sometimes you on, on communications you have a copious notes we like to say but you're not supposed to generally be everybody Getting up there 29 people reading speeches prepared for them by technicians.
That is inappropriate.
Show the public of the Bahamas you understand the work you're doing that you have actually played a role in the preparation of that work and that at any given time you can give account for that work.
And if you are asked the question and you don't understand the answer right away you can, you will tell them give me a moment and I will get an answer so that I can accurately reflect for you what the situation is. Because you don't know every, every, every every every detail but you should be sufficiently acquainted with it. And I'm sick and tired of listening in the House of Assembly to all these boring by people who clearly have no grasp.
Not everybody now but plenty people who have no grasp on the work that they are doing are too inarticulate to be able to share with the public of the Bahamas that work that they are doing. It's shameful and I'm sick and tired. It is very dull more political than governing and policy related debates in House of Assembly everybody politics but politics shouldn't be the dominant situation in the House of Assembly be a public policy debating chamber.
The public should be featured to have about policy matters. Yeah, you didn't win and you get in. You didn't get. You had on a nice suit, you had on a nice dress at the opening of Parliament. But. But now it's work time.
Showing your research. So in your knowledge showing your understanding, showing your rationality show in your justifications that you understand the work that you are doing.
Let's get serious. My serious. Let's not be unserious people. I'm gonna call you out of beyond serious. Some of you've been in the parliament, been there for five years and ain't nobody know your name from nothing.
[00:20:23] Speaker C: You did.
[00:20:24] Speaker A: Not yet nobody know your name.
It's so bad. You didn't even have a controversy that helped people know your name.
Come on, man, you don't want to do.
You're educated.
You are, you know, you're proud Bahamian. You've got this wonderful privilege and opportunity to represent your constituency, to sit in the cabinet of the Bahamas. Show up, show up like a big deal. Don't just show up like a big deal when people escorting you to the airplane shop like a big deal in part of the Bahamas.
Make us proud.
That's what the people of the Bahamas deserves in the budget debate. What the numbers say, don't say.
Tell me what these numbers saying.
Money. What? No, no, no, no, no, no. I could see that the line item says $330,244,815 spent. I could see that. Right? I don't need you to tell me that. I can look at the line item. You tell me what you did with that money in that item.
Tell me what the result was for the people of the Bahamas.
Tell me that you spent $74 million on travel.
You say, oh, we improve diplomatic relations here. We improved. We got this investment there. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You can't just.
Some of us more educated than that. Just a little bit more.
You can't make. No grac is on that. No. Tell me, tell me what diplomatic relations was before you took that trip.
You're trying to tell me before you take that trip. We had no diplomat, that's what you're telling me. None whatsoever. That's what you're saying. Oh, we did have diplomatic relations with that country. Was the diplomatic relations with that country spotty? Was it conflict ridden?
Was it stagnant? What was the situation before that?
Okay, so now, now that you then spend a hundred and thirty thousand dollars on that one trip, tell me how the relations are now and tell me what that means for the public of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Tell me that.
Or you say, well, we got investment proposals. Tell me, tell me how much you spend to go to this place, the next place and the next place. And tell me precisely which investment proposal came in on the basis of that. On which one was executed on the basis of that particular trip.
That's what I'd like to. That's a budget debate. That's a justified, justified and accountable situation.
Broad platitudes and broad Statements don't tell me nothing.
Nothing. You don't opposition. No, bro. Bro. You said.
You said you spent $74 million.
Let me show you how you break it down. This side broke down. You spent $28 million out of this ministry, 10 out of this, two out of that and so forth and so forth. So let me ask you a question.
You don't have to tell me because I've been in government before and I'm not talking about me as me. I'm talking to opposition talking now because some of them been in government before.
You don't have to tell me that. The Director of Education went to the education conference. We expect her to do that. That's important. So we want her to be a part of the dialogue about international education and development so we can take her money out.
And we expected the Director of Public Prosecution to go here to this particular judicial thing and so forth. So we ain't talking about them people. We're talking about the political trips that you're talking Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, this minister and that minister. We talk about those trips. Now I want you to tell me you spent $230,000 to go to Orlando.
230, 000. You transferred money out of this to go into that. I want you to tell me what Orlando and what did it produce for the people of Commonwealth of the Bahamas. That's what I want you to tell me. That's the opposition acting like the opposition.
That's about the debate. Now let me ask you a question. I'm asking you like dad says, would you not want to listen to that debate?
Tell me. I'm serious. Text me and tell me. Boy Chevalier one listen to that debate.
That's the kind of debate you would want to listen to. You tell me if I lie or I lie.
You're listening to Z live on Chicago Line. Your host will be back after this break.
[00:25:29] Speaker B: I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid to take a stand Take a stand Everybody, everybody come take my, Come take my we'll walk this road together through the storm, whatever weather, cold, the warm Let me know that you're not alone. I'll let you feel like you can't claim.
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[00:27:13] Speaker A: Fidelity.
[00:27:16] Speaker B: We're good for you.
[00:27:23] Speaker G: Great news. Ron's Electric Motors new location on Cowpen Road right next to Island Luck is open Saturdays and Sundays. So for those needing repairs on electric motors, generators, welding machines, water pumps, battery charges, electric lifts, transformers and power tools, Ron's Cowpen Road location can have you up and running on weekends. Motors on Wolf Road and Claridge Road. And now Ron's new location on Cowpen Road. Dial 356-0249 or 323-5267.
[00:27:53] Speaker B: I'm not afraid I'm not afraid to take a stand Take a stand Let free everybody everybody Come take my Come take my we'll walk this road together through the storm whatever weather.
[00:28:20] Speaker A: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen to Z Live. I'm Chivago Lang, your host. So glad that you could join us here today on Guardian Radio, 96.9 FM. On this beautiful Monday afternoon, I asked you all if you all wouldn't enjoy a debate based on the one I say. Ain't nobody called text me or just one person text me said good afternoon. Oh, yeah, that's a debate. I'll take time off from work to listen to that. And the rest of y' all ain't saying nothing.
People should carry on. How they carrying on in those assembly. Keep reading them speeches. Don't tell you really nothing about what they doing and just discussion. Is that.
This Texas creature as usual? Well, Mr. Lang, if they go Orlando, they have to go Universal Studios and Disney.
Then you have to go shopping at the Premium Mall outlet. But you can't come on TV and say that. And that's the first four days of the trip. No, no, they wouldn't spend the money on that. They weren't spending money like that. Now I, I remember that you know, not worrying about that. I, I don't, I, I, I, I'm very serious. I am not concerned that the government of Bahamas is spending your money on no shopping list and all that kind of stuff. That's nonsense. That's, that would not happen. Right. The money is spent on airline tickets, hotel accommodations, per diem. That's it. That's it. Can I tell you guys that again, this is the travel budget of the government of Bahamas, right? The travel it consists of. The only thing the government of Bahamas pays for is it pays for your, for your airline ticket.
It pays for economy dependent on the traveling and first class and business class can cost you Thousands, up to 20, $30,000 depending on who's traveling. It pays for. They pay for your hotel accommodation. So that could be 100 something dollars a night, 200 something dollars a night, 300 something dollars a night, 400 something dollars a night, and then they pay for your per diem. I don't know what per diem is. Now. I know what it was back when I was in government. It was like $80 or something a day. Right, and you only got it for yourself these days. I understand you get spousal per diem as well. So that's what really is spent on. Now if you are the prime minister or minister and you happen to have gotten approval to host an event for, for either your own citizens in an area or for, for your guests or something like that, then that might add some more thousands of dollars. But by and large, that's $74 million. That's ticket money, hotel money and per diem, $74 million ticket money, per diem, you hear me? That's a lot of ticket money, that's a lot of hotel money, and that's a lot of per diem.
That's a lot.
I might as well tell you this, Texas cadejo, I listen to you every day. But today I had to comment because I agree with you 1, 1000%.
When you speak about a debate in Parliament, I expect the representatives to be so well prepared and well versed in their various ministries, they can stand on their feet and speak intelligently. Absolutely. That's what we, all of us should expect. That's what all of us should want. And there should be no excuse, no excuse at all for not giving it to the people of the Baha'.
[00:31:43] Speaker B: Is.
[00:31:45] Speaker A: You ain't no child, you an adult and you getting, if you're a government Minister, you collecting 60, $66,000 a year plus your parliamentary salary, which is $28,000. If you're in the Senate, then $16,000. I say that's big, big money. But a big, big money to plenty people. That's what you, you have to do it full time. That's the full time job.
You can't read the budget. You can't get the details of the budget. You sitting with the permanent secretary in them, who's the financial administrators of the ministry. And you can't ask them questions about why we spending this on the travel, why we spending that on consultancies. What all consultancies. When did this consultancy start? And so forth, and so forth. So you could come to tell the public B. In public. Here's how I'm spending your money.
Come on, man.
Nonsense, nonsense. After we come back from a break, I got seven, I got five questions about the budget.
It's just. These are first five, These, the big, big five that I'd like to know. Five questions.
You're the opposition. You're not full time, but, but, but you take the job.
You can't, you don't have enough time to read it, to study it and study all of it. Find somebody who could tell them, listen, look at this, take notes, tell me what you see, what I should be paying attention to.
Oh, okay, okay, okay. That's your work.
As a matter of fact, if there's one thing they could do for members of parliament, they probably should give them, give them a. If you're a member of parliament and they should give them a researcher, give them some money to hire a researcher. Yeah, Let's elevate.
Let's elevate the government of the Bahamas. Under the Progressive Liberal Party. Philip Grave Davis, our prime minister, is now able to boast that for the first time since 2000, since 1997, we have elected. Re elected a government.
Elevate, elevate.
I don't want you nothing, but nobody private business and think we just pay you for public business that's on both sides of the political divide.
We, we pay you to conduct. That's why I keep telling people, some of y', all, some of you, some of you private citizens out there who have conducted, continue to be concerned about political politicians who are asking questions about things that you have done with the government of the Bahamas. And you nervous and little gingerly about it. Let me tell you again, you did not get elected by us. We you account you negotiate with the government of the Bahamas even if it's a sweetheart deal, even it's a great deal for you, even if you're getting a lot of It. And we don't think the public said anything of it. We are not holding you accountable for that because you a private business person, we expect you to be looking out for your interest. We don't expect you to put anything unethical. We don't expect you to do anything immoral, but we expect you to look out for your interest. We looked at the government of the Bahamas to be able to say to you, no, I'm not going to do that because that's not in the best interest of the public. We're not going to do that because you're getting too much out of it and we're not getting enough out of it. We expect that from the governor of the Bahamas, prime minister, cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries and all them. That's what we. What we expect from them.
That's who we hold in accountable for. Just don't go to jail for nothing. Don't go to jail because you. You wait with the government to break.
Let's don't do that. Don't lose no reputation over it. That's a different story. What we're talking about is what the government's responsibility is in conducting its business. And the big responsibility the government has is to account for the money spent on the Albanian Republic. $4 billion. $3.8 billion billion dollars worth of money spent in 12 months. $3.8 billion. And you don't think you should do everything in your power to make me comfortable that you spent my money where?
Come on. I mean, seriously.
I could tell you one thing. Why is the Ministry of Finance? I took that job seriously. And so did Mr. Ingram. So did Bilana.
We weren't perfect. We didn't get it all right. But still we recognize no man. No, no, no, no. I remember Miss. They used to be bucking hotel rooms for Mr. Ingram when he first came. In particular, seeing him say, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I ain't paying that kind of money for night for no room.
No.
And so you need to be in the House of Assembly shining. Oh, people should walk with. First of all, you had a person said they would take time off from work to do that. That's how it should be. The public, the. The House of Assemblies debates should be so mature, so dynamic, so fulsome, so intelligent that you, you, you can't wait for the next debate because what. Oh my God, I knew so much. You should, you should be able to say, boy, Lang, you know, I listen to your show and we scared to learn some stuff. But boy, let me tell you something. I learned so much stuff listening to House assembly the other day. You should be able to do that because that's the House Assembly. That's the business. They know the business, they are in the business, they are doing the business.
You should want that. Oh man. You should be like what?
No, no, no, no. You can't call me now. Can't call me. And I, I listen into the House. I listen in the house listening to the House Assembly.
This text says waste of time and breath. I don't expect absolutely nothing from the plp. The PLP is a rogue non transparent administration. Not under this corrupt administration. I expect nothing says that text. Well, I'm sorry to hear that.
I would hope we could otherwise.
This tag says Good day Mr. Lang. It would be awesome for our employees to be more diligent and detailed with how they present information to the public regarding their ministries and portfolio. But they seem to take this for granted. Major reason why people like your show is because of the information you provide. A major reason why Lincoln being attracts folks is because he attempted to provide information accurate or not to the public. It says I feel like if these mps continue to see secretive with m to be secretive with information eventually a COI will be able to gain a seat. With regard to your question, I would love such a debate. There you go.
Why not?
I tell you one day if I know assembly love me or hate me, he'd be sitting right there. Boy, just like that, man. Yeah, I can't stand him. But I gotta listen though.
Yes, I Ingram was. Let me tell you something man. I started watching the House of Assembly in person when I was in Nassau when I got came to the College of the Bahamas. Oh I was sitting there and listen to Celine speak and listen to Paul Adley speak and listen to Kendall Isaac speak and Cecil Wallace Whitfield speak and, and Ingram speaking them and I was like oh my goodness that's heavy weighty. Yeah, they can drop some political licks inside there. But it was something to behold.
House of assembly ain't close back now.
Not even close when, when Janet Bostrick was in the House of Assembly. And, and, and, and and maurits Moore and C.A. smith His Excellency now assembly and Ingram and, and, and, and and and Butler and Algernon Allen. Men with history and depth and so forth. So for burning not hedge. Oh sugar, it's a different day.
You sit now. You sit and watch thousands of the whole day and don't feel like this was one waste of time.
This text says the Dejivago in the past the government claimed that a lot of travel was being done for investment purposes.
Why are we going out to get investors? What is being done to our potential investors come here because they would need to come here anyway if they wish to invest. Maybe I'm missing something or not understanding something. Are we getting a return for this investment? You are missing a little something.
You have to have investment promotion.
I do not believe I can tell you the truth. I do not believe that the government of the Bahamas was on investment promotion trips.
I do not believe that Hubert, Alexander Ingram and us were on investment promotion trips. We deliberately, unintentionally worked with people in various parts of the world to set up occasions when multiple people came to our seminars or tell them about the Bahamas so that they could come to know and have an interest. So you have to do some of that. That's investment promotion is done by every country and needs to be done by every country. So yes, you have to travel. But nobody's going to convince me that the government of Bahamas went out to spend $474 million trying to get new investments in this country.
That did not happen. I don't believe that. Now the bama's investment authority is the investment promotion arm of the government. Whether they had some trips along those lines, I don't know. I know of some trips that I went on with say the financial services people where we were in China speaking to conferences trying to get Chinese investors interested in the Bahamas and that is necessary. You have to do some of that. So you are missing a little something. But I do not accept that $74 million, not even close, was spent on investment promotions. I do not accept that. Just because you happen to be the prime minister flying off to a climate change something and speaking to people doesn't mean that you went on an investment promotion mission. Investment promotions are intentional organized events. You're listening to Z Live. I'm Chevalang, your host. We're going to take a break for news. We'll be back in this break.
[00:42:27] Speaker B: Let me know that you're not alone.
[00:42:38] Speaker A: This is Guardian Radio 96.9 FM streaming on guardiantalkradio.com and the Guardian radio app. Nassau Bahamas.
[00:42:49] Speaker B: I'm not afraid I'm not afraid to take a stand Take a stand Everybody everybody Come take my Come take my we'll walk this road together through the storm whatever Weather, cold, the warm Let me know that you're not alone.
Foreign.
[00:43:34] Speaker A: Welcome back. Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to Z Live. I'm Chevagulang, your Host so glad you could join us here today on Guardian Radio 96.9 FM on this beautiful Monday afternoon. It's budget time.
Budget debate, it's happening.
It'll be happening for I think at least a week and so we'll see what you get to hear.
I didn't give some instructions. I, I don't know nobody, I don't know they're going to listen to me necessarily. But anyhow, hopefully. Let's see what happened.
You're listening to Z Live if you want to give us a call. The numbers are 323-6232 or 325-4316 or 325-4259.
You can call us from the Family Islands on 2423-00-5720 or you can text us on 422-4796 or you can WhatsApp me on 439-3043.
You know, just before the the show came back on there was a news report in which the lead the opposition is calling for the resignation of the Minister of Finance on the basis of bad judgment.
And the supporters of Mr. Hakita said something that I found instructive and I want you to listen to it. Listen to what it said.
We are with the minister no matter what.
There you go.
No matter what. Now I'm not saying he should resign.
I'm not saying he should not resign but for them it isn't a question of what he does, whether he did something wrong or right or not. That's a doesn't arise. They didn't say we think he did the right thing. Etc. No, they said we've been with him for the last four, five years and we're gonna stick with him and no matter what.
There you go.
That's called support. It's called loyalty. That's what it's called.
So the budget debate is going on.
We'll continue to go on for the rest of this week at least. We know.
I have questions about the budget.
Government of the Bahamas is forecasting that it will continue to believe that it will realize a $75 million surplus on the 2025, 2026 budget and that it expects to have a surplus then this is an overall surplus. This isn't just a recurrence or before in our country, this is an overall surplus. That means when you take account of the recurrent side of the budget, when you take account of the capital side of the budget where the biggest deficit happens is on the capital side.
When you add all of that up, the government Says we will come out ahead in revenue versus expenditure by $75 million this year, $202 million next year.
I have a question.
Are the hundreds of millions of dollars owed to vendors in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas owed to states going to have been paid once that surplus is calculated? Let me ask the question again for this year and next year, is it the government that the surplus it expects to make of $75 million this year, $202 million or so next year, is that a surplus that will be in place after it will have expended monies to pay vendors are now significantly owed monies by the government. Now here's the important thing.
I'm not talking about scheduled financial obligations because if you have scheduled obligations where you pay X amount this month or this quarter and X amount next month or next quarter, that's different because you could have that owing but it's scheduled to be paid. So we're not talking about those. I'm talking about people who the government Obama's either outright is not paying or is pinching little piece here, little piece there without a structured agreement for payment and owes this contractor, that vendor and so forth. Are those people. Surplus is calculated.
Surpluses are calculated because if those arrears are not paid, not structured ones are still due, your surplus and surpluses are nothing more than paper book documenting. That's all they amount to. They are nothing in the real world.
They need nothing in the real world. And even an analyst from Standard and pause, an analyst from Fitch and all of them, if they're doing their jobs properly, would look behind those numbers and see that, oh well, you know, they pack up some thing. I'm in the corner there and this year and ain't doing surplus. That's just a paper surplus.
If that's not the if, if that's what. That's the question I would have for the government of the Bahamas if I
[00:49:06] Speaker F: were
[00:49:08] Speaker A: seeking an answer from them on this budget in the House of Assembly.
You all got that? You understand that it's no different than you or me balancing our budget and bragging about it. But we know that we behind two months, three months on the loan here, the mortgage there and what have you. That's ridiculous.
You're not job budgeting balance the numbers on your paper balance. But the real fiscal and financial circumstances you and I find ourselves in is unbalanced. And that can happen. That can. What we don't do is don't fool yourself and don't fool me. If you're the government, don't fool the public. See, I'd rather you tell me. Listen man, I got a 300 million dollar deficit. A part of that deficit is, is the rails over this one, the rares over that one. And we expect to try and pay that off with these loan proceeds and so forth and so forth. Because how you park in $700 million? I can get to that later. But how you parking $700 million in the National Investment Fund and all people. $300 million.
That makes sense.
You, you said you had excess. And rather than take the borrowings and pay off people who could use that money, spend that in the economy and make the economy grow, you can park $700 million in borrowed money attracting interest payments inside national investment fund.
That makes no sense whatsoever.
That, that there, that there is voodoo economics to me.
No, actually I wouldn't even call up. Yeah, through, you know, they try to make you think. I think it's true.
Million dollars in borrowed money is parked in national investment fund. And there are 200 plus $3 million in arrears owed to state owned corporations, vendors and them kind of stuff. No man, come on y', all, come on.
Elevate, elevate.
Okay, that's my first question.
My second question is the $700 million that the minister said was transferred to the national investment fund.
Where is the movement of that money reflected in the 2025, 2026 or 2026, 2027 budget?
Because that $700 million was a part of a $2.5 billion in proceeds from borrowings.
Those proceeds from borrowings are reflected in the budget at the end of the revenue sections. Once you get past taxes and fees.
Once you get past those, I'm going to show you. Oh by the way, we're going to do the, we're going to do the seminar on the budget on Monday next at 6:30pm so if you are interested, you need to tell me again and then I'll send you the link for the seminar. Next week. Monday at 6:30.
Next week, Monday at 6:30. That's when we can do it. If some of you can't make it, I'm so sorry but that's the best I can do. Next week, Monday at 6:30. Okay, so, so behind the taxes and fees there's a section there and after the capital revenue there is a section there called proceeds from borrowings.
Is there a place in the budget where that you took $700 million of $2.5 billion and transferred it to national investment fund? Well, I, I, I'm telling you What I can tell you now, which is that I do not see in the budget where there is anything in the investment fund and that transfer. So. And all you got to do is do a search and I don't see anything reflecting any movement of money to the national investment fund. How is that conceivable?
Now the Minister did say they parked the money there, said put the money there.
Okay.
Maybe it will be reflected in the next budget. I don't know.
I'm still waiting for the Minister to provide a more fulsome and comprehensible explanation for this transfer. $700 million both in terms of how it could be done. Under what authority?
How is it not a violation of Articles 131 and 113131 of the Constitution?
Secondly, who is the national investment fund?
Who managing the national investment fund?
Who heads it?
You know like where, where's his national investment? Where are these accounts?
I, you know the national investment fund packed revenues to national investment fund can receive. You know it actually says that and I do not see anywhere where it says monies out of the, out of the treasury, out of the consolidated fund. I don't see anything from that.
I don't. I, I did. I, I'm not saying it doesn't exist. I'm just saying I looked at it, I studied it and I couldn't find it. But I could be dead wrong.
I'm not above being wrong at all. Not even close.
But I checked the act that was gazetted in December of 2020. 2023. I think it was 2022.
And the act says the purpose of the fund. So can I read for you all about the access about resources for the fund? This is what the access resources for the fund of a fund. So the national investment fund is. Can have many funds. So it can have sub funds. So just at a consolidated fund can have many accounts. The national investment fund can have sub funds.
So that's why it says funds says the resources of a fund shall consist of such monies assets as may be. This is what the law says. Now tell me when, when I read this. Tell me where you see monies transferred from the consolidated fund allocated by the Minister to fund on the commencement of this act. Okay. Allocated.
So did the Minister Allocate the $700 million to commence the fund derived from a sub fund established pursuant to subsection 5. So this was proceeds from borrowing. So it wasn't that deposited to the fund from any other source with the approval of the Board. Who's the board? Did the Board approve it? That's the question.
Okay, who's the board?
Do you know?
All right, does anybody know?
I don't know.
Anyways, so, so who's the board?
Who's the who? The members of the board of the fund.
Who's the investment manager for the fund?
Who's advising on the fund?
Do you know who the chairman of the board of NIB is? Of course you do. NIB is the National Insurance Board. They have a fund too. National Insurance Fund.
You know the members of border.
You know the executive director. The director, the of the NIB is. You know who that is. You know the membership, the executive team is. What's that for? The National Investment Fund.
And, and, and, and, and the minister should be made to answer these questions in House Assembly.
So that's my second question.
My third question is the vouchers that were mortal during the elections. Ports from other companies.
Let me read all the other companies so that they don't say we only were picking on premium imports.
There were other companies that the government bought vouchers from during March during the campaign season.
They included.
They included Hanson building materials, 21st century building and Hardware. These were all where thingama bought, by the way. So let me show you what they are, where they're located, like. So these are East Street, South Wolf Road, Palm Beach Street. Any of them sound familiar to you? All they sound familiar to you? On those particular streets close to each other, these vouchers that were bought during the elections, What for?
Why? Why was what. What to what? What to what public benefit were those vouchers purchased?
And why those particular companies, why that particular area?
Why those particular amounts?
Who those vendors pay in cash right away, all the money is from there to them are still owed.
And why at that time, why was it necessary to buy those vouchers? And who were the beneficiaries of those vouchers? Why would the Ministry of Finance buy such vouchers?
Ministry Finance? Why vouchers?
Why.
In allotments? Why. Why would a ministry finance buy them? In the mav you told me the hurricane. The ministry responsible for hurricane preparedness or disaster management and them maybe that, but no, I think that is that because the answer speaks to some troubling concerns of what has happened and what happened during the election campaign.
So I want to know really the clarity not know not no fuzzy wuzziness.
I'd like to know what was the reason for the acquisition of those vouchers?
This text says. Hello, Mr. Lang. How much money are we paying annually to service our total debt?
Right now it's almost $700 million a year.
$700 million or so a year.
Okay.
I could get you the exact amount if you give me a chance. I could tell you that. Exactly.
I mean, that's us. You, you're up there now.
Okay, you, you're up there in terms of a debt servicing amount.
All right, so let me see here.
Interest, interest. $711,203,258.
Got it.
Okay.
This text says, can you please send me the budget link for next Monday? Sure, sure, I'll do that. I'll do that. Not a problem.
All right, so I have another question.
My question would be the.
So the Eric Gardner situation with the clinic PPP in the Eric Gardner situation with the PPP in Eight Mile Rock revealed something that I have been saying to all of you now about these PPPs forever.
Eric Gardner's company found itself in issues with, with Leno, others with his financier because it was not paying its debt obligations because the government wasn't paying it the monies the government was supposed to pay it in order for it to pay its obligations.
And where was the money from going to come from for the, for the government to pay them? Not from the clinic. Because the clinic's revenues couldn't pay, the government had to pay the money out the consolidated fund.
So my question is, for that PPP and every other PPP undertaken by the government of the Bahamas, where in the budget is the financial obligation for the payment to those PPPs reflected?
Where is the expenditure associated with those PPPS reflected in the budget?
And if they're not reflected in the budget, how could you have a surplus? That's true. True.
Some place got to be in here.
PPP were doing the thing I'm in.
In.
And, and so you all should, you all should go look. You guys should go look in the budget now. Let me see. I found one. You know, I found one. One. Maybe, maybe more than one.
So if you look in the budget, they used to be in the budget, they used to be in the budget in 20.
I'll tell you right now, I don't even know that that, that that's on, on public debt. On the public debt side, in 2025-2026-2025-2026, there is $33.93 million Investment and Construction Co. Ltd. 10 year.
So for 10 years, some PPP Investment and Construction Co. Ltd.
Was getting two.
They got $2,687,592 one year.
They got $586,443 one year. This year they're supposed to have gotten $2,308,163. And then for the rest of the years they ain't getting no money. So if they got all the money spared, that means it goes back 10 years from this time. Now I don't know what peop. I don't know what the PPP Investments and Construction Co. Ltd. 10 year loan is. That should be queried by the opposition.
Right, we'll figure out what that is.
I, I don't know of any other I.
Then there's a Eleuthera ppp. Now these ain't no expenditure amounts. These only mentioned in the Annex 18 under Justification for public private varnish. This is the justification. Exoma PPP cost. This is Bahamas striping $62 million.
This project includes the upgrading of the existing 60 mile sand sea sand seal roads with asphaltic concrete starting from west of Georgetown heading west on Queens highway to Paratari, Rollville, Curtis and all the settlement roads off the Queens highway. You should really put under the. Okay, yeah, so that's a million dollars a mile for that PPP in Exuma. $1 million a mile. Is that a good price? I don't know.
Eleuthera PPP Caribbean Pavement Solutions $180 million this project includes the upgrading of approximately 163 million miles of sand sealed roads to asphalt concrete for both Queens highway and Settlement roads. It also includes the installations of potable water lines to several settlements. Okay, that's all that there is for the justification.
Cat island as I said before, where is the financial obligation for the Lutra PPP for the zone PPP reflected in the budget? Cat Island PPP Cat Island Development Company cost $124 million. Listen to this now. This project $5 million of miles of Queens highway from Shannon Cove to Hawks Nest, from existing sand seal surface to asphaltic concrete. I want you to listen to me now.
This road here, this the cost of this is $124 million and the number the amount of miles is $95 million. Exuma's road is $62 million in cost and the number of miles is $60 million. So it's $1.7 million for that one and it's much more for the one in Cat Island.
San Salvador PPP GDA Paving and Construction Limited 52 million. This includes the upgrading of 33 miles of Queens highway and 7 miles of settlement roads from deteriorating sand sealed surface to the more durable asphaltic concrete surface. It also includes the rehabilitation of Cockburn Town Dock and enhancing navigation and safety by dredging works mangrove key andros ppp ambies paving $19 million this proposal includes the upgrading of 17 miles main road from sand, sealed asphalt, concrete and the resoluting rerouting of a section of the roadway.
Rerouting will be achieved by new construction which is necessary because a section of the main is impassable during neep, which has been the cause of such consternation for the locals and visitors going about their business. Those are all the PPPS that the government is undertaking. How much is that in total?
2072-200-3380, 440 million almost half a billion dollars in PPPs. You're listening to Z Live. I'm Chagalang, your host. We'll be back after.
[01:10:02] Speaker B: We'll walk this road together through the storm. Whatever weather, cover the wall. Let me know that you're not alone. I love if you feel like you.
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[01:12:08] Speaker A: This is Guardian Radio 96.9 FM. Fresh news Smart talk all day.
[01:12:19] Speaker B: I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid to take a stand. Take a stand everybody Everybody come take my, come take my we'll walk this road together through the storm Whatever weather, cold, the war Let me know that you're not alone Hola. If you feel like you can't proclaim say.
[01:12:56] Speaker A: Welcome back. Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to Z Live. I'm Shabag, your host. So glad you could join us here today on Guardian Radio 96.9 FM on these beautiful on this beautiful Monday afternoon.
This text says, man Chivago, you hating my head with these slush fund ppp.
That's what you think they are.
I tell you one thing, most PPPs the way PPPs ought to work is that the project has some underlying revenue stream that funds itself and so that the private and players are able to get back their profits by virtue of those.
Since these are road projects, the government said I'm not gonna borrow the money to fix your road, I'm gonna let a third party borrow the money to fix your road. That third party presumably now has to go borrow money to do the road project.
So on top of the money to actually build a road, they're, they're going to add to that cost the interest rate for the borrowed monies or the equity payments that they may make to some person who's prepared to put the money. And do you know where the money's coming from? From them?
You don't know if it's borrowed monies from financial institutions or elsewhere?
We don't know. We don't know.
So on top of that then there's going to be their profits.
So doing it this way, rather than the government simply having to pay the contractor and then pay the loan plus the interest, the government's going to have to pay the contractor's fee, the contractors interest payments and principal payments, the contractors profits and so forth. It has to be a more costly proposition to you. And the question is why would the government do it that way? Government says okay, well I don't want to add this debt for a necessary public work because why else are you doing it? Why are you fixing the road in Exuma? Why are you fixing the road in illusion? Why are you fixing the road in Cali? Because you say it needs to be done.
Well if you say it needs to be done, you bought island from the Caribbean Development bank to go do with the project there for 100 plus million dollars.
But you didn't want to borrow the money for the road because you said the road needs to be done.
So you don't want that added to your debt. That's the only reason why you could be doing it. It's not a cost issue.
You didn't do competitive bidding for the PPP as far as we aware because if you did competitive bidding maybe then the cost of it would have been more. More affordable to the BAM in public.
So why.
Right. Where is the financial obligation to fund these PPPs reflected in the budget? Where's that line item?
I'm not saying it's not there. I'm just asking to show me this guy can find it.
We have a call on the line. Go ahead, call it. We're listening to you.
[01:16:10] Speaker C: Good afternoon. Good to as usual man just make make two points. I mean try to make two points. I'd like to touch base on this Michael Titus the his and the opposition corner for his resignation. The reason why I feel as if he ought to resign. Let's just give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn't know who this Eric Gardner was when he was president of the company. Let's just give him the benefit of doubt.
Eric Gardner did his time in jail came out and Michael Akita third was president.
He resigned because he must have heard something. Let's just give him the benefit of the doubt now.
[01:16:46] Speaker D: So now here it is.
[01:16:47] Speaker C: You resigned from this company for whatever reason.
You went into the House, you went into the Senate as a member of the government, as a minister, state and finance and you still tell Iran to give this guy contracts, give this company contracts after knowing who he is or what he's about or, or, or have a questionable. Questionable means.
[01:17:11] Speaker A: Well, well, well, well. To this day we don't know from Mr. Haas that he knew who he was. Now ought he had. Ought he, ought he to have known. Absolutely ought to have known. But we don't know from him that he knew this. But what we do know now it seems that Mr. Alquidas is contradicting himself. Mr. Alquidas says that he with this company touch what it was top notch.
Top notch. Right. Didn't have any dealings with the company and he. And he ceased to be president of the company. I I thought I heard in 2020. Did you hear the same thing April 2020?
[01:17:50] Speaker C: Yes, about the October.
[01:17:52] Speaker A: But the, but the documents reflect that when.
When the contract was issued by Water and Sewage Corporation allegedly to a company supposedly owned any a company, let's say the equity company. This is all coming out in Mr. Gibson, Adrian Gibson's case that that company, that company was the contract was signed by Eric Gardner and that Mr. Alquidas was still the president of the company.
So, so Top notch. Top notch subcontracted equity. Something which is alleged to have been owned by Adrian Gibson, that that company, Eric Gardner signed the contract and that Altidis was still the president. Top notch according to the records.
[01:18:51] Speaker C: Well, you know, you being in the financial industry and you being a government either Mr. Keatis is either incompetent somewhere he's flirting with the truth.
Reason why? Because you should do. He should have do his dude do his due diligence to find out who name these two documents he signed and which board or which companies he's being a part of.
[01:19:17] Speaker A: But I ain't gonna lie to you.
Ain't no lawyer bringing no significant person particularly who's been in public life, nobody to serve on their board to know this and the next thing and you don't know who the people are.
[01:19:35] Speaker C: Exactly. Exactly.
[01:19:37] Speaker A: Except. Except maybe it's. Except it's some institutional appointment. I never served on a board and I don't know who you are. I never met you, I never talked to you.
[01:19:46] Speaker B: I.
[01:19:47] Speaker C: Here's the thing, what I think is blowing over everybody head. According to Mr. Akitas, he said that someone bought him to this company.
[01:19:56] Speaker A: He said a lawyer. He said a lawyer.
[01:19:58] Speaker C: Exactly.
Exactly. And I, I think that's the part.
[01:20:02] Speaker A: First of all, first of all, ain't no lawyer out of the blue come approach in Chicago land. That's so right. And someone I know would want me to know what they know.
[01:20:14] Speaker C: Yep, exactly. So again, the reason why I believe he should resign because someone in his past capacity, someone in his present capacity and someone I. I think he ought to resign because you know, it, the perception, it just.
[01:20:33] Speaker A: Let me tell you, let me, let me tell you a more fundamental principled reason that calling for his ex resignation if you're the opposition makes sense.
Because Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, when he was leader of the opposition called for Peter Turnquest's resignation. Period. You don't need no more arguments than that.
[01:20:58] Speaker D: Yeah.
[01:20:59] Speaker C: Not just Peter Turn Quest, he also called for durian science resignation.
[01:21:03] Speaker A: Understood. Understood. So I only giving you one because it's equal. Finance minister, Finance Minister. One was a Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas. Finance Minister, Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas. And he called for that man's resignation. That man had not been convicted of anything. He was merely named in a lawsuit.
In a lawsuit.
So what I'm saying is bro, either we live in a principled country or we do not.
[01:21:39] Speaker C: And based on what's going on in this administration, I don't believe, I don't believe we're living In a principal country. Based on what's happening right now, based on what happened and under the last admin. Under the administration last time. I don't see. No, I don't see it. I don't see the principles.
[01:21:58] Speaker A: I am prepared to sit down and have someone explain to me, including Prime Minister or his agent here, Zhivago is the difference between when I called for Peter TurnQuest's resignation and Mr. Pintad and those calling for Mr. Alquitas resignation. I'm prepared to listen to the arguments footed and to be convinced
[01:22:28] Speaker C: the mad fact that. That Mr. Alquitas was caught in. In a light.
You was caught in a lie.
[01:22:35] Speaker A: You said you was just a director.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Hold on, hold on. Let me tell you why you can't say a lie.
See, in order for you to establish that he lied, you would have to have established that he knew what he was saying was not the truth and said it. He could be mistaken if we can't prove otherwise.
[01:22:54] Speaker C: Okay, okay, let's give him that.
[01:22:56] Speaker A: Okay. No, that's important because if you call him a liar here, that could be defamation and you could only you. The only, the only, the only defense against affirmation is truth and you can't prove it. So we get caught up in that. So, so we don't know him to have lied.
We do know that there's an inconsistency in something he said.
Yeah, in a story. We know that to be so.
[01:23:22] Speaker D: Right.
[01:23:22] Speaker C: And if I could also touch base on these ppe, is, is it causing the government more to execute these PPEs than the government executing it themselves?
[01:23:35] Speaker A: I would believe so. I have to believe so because I don't believe any private partner is going to do anything that they don't make a profit from. So since you put them in the middle, they're gonna have to get their principal interest payment profit from you. Now if you did it yourself, you take the profit out of it.
[01:23:55] Speaker C: So that mean these companies, they go into the bank to get financial assistance to complete these or someone.
[01:24:00] Speaker A: So even, even if they don't, even if they don't go to the bank, let's say they go to some wealthy person and say, lend me $50 million. You think the wealthy person can get him $50 million for not good interest
[01:24:10] Speaker C: and bought like the interest will probably be higher than what the, what the commercial institution would do.
[01:24:14] Speaker A: There you go.
[01:24:16] Speaker C: Anyway, got you. As usual, I'll hang up and continue to listen.
[01:24:19] Speaker A: Thank you, my friend. Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to take our final break, you're listening to Z Live. I'm Survival. I'm your host.
[01:24:37] Speaker B: Together through the Storm one the of.
[01:24:52] Speaker G: Southwest Plaza has so many stores I've been trying to find a sensible way to list them all. There's CBS Bahamas, the Ashey Institute, Benc Snack World Bamboo Shack, Bahamas. There the athletes foot and BTC games and more John Bullpine Threads Alive bahari, Dairy Queen 700 wines and spirits, Sandy's Clarkson Island Lock, Starbucks and Lowe's Pharmacy. Plus Marco's Pizza and Lorraine. Southwest Plaza. What a wide array of stores. Southwest Plaza. Stop by today and explore. Turn a trip to Burger King Nassau into a galactic adventure with the Mondo and Grogu Whopper combo featuring special shake fries. Whether you're a bounty hunter in training or or just here for your way, Burger King Nassau has everything Mandalorian Grogu related you could want. Grab the toys, the mugs, the crowns and your crew and head on down to BK and celebrate the Mandalorian and Grogu advent. This is the way.
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[01:26:09] Speaker A: We're good for you.
[01:26:18] Speaker D: Guess who's back.
[01:26:19] Speaker A: It's the time again.
The 31st and Manual Michael Scootery piece on the Streets basketball classic.
[01:26:26] Speaker G: Classic.
[01:26:27] Speaker E: Bring it on now. Let's go.
[01:26:28] Speaker G: Whether you a player or a fan, you don't want to miss this one. The action starts July 13th at the Hope Center. Log on to Peaceonthestreets.com and register.
[01:26:39] Speaker B: Come on everybody, we're going.
[01:26:41] Speaker G: That's the Peace on the Streets basketball
[01:26:43] Speaker A: classic where we shoot hopes instead of guns. Game time. This is Guardian Radio, 96.9 FM. Fresh news, smart talk all day.
[01:27:09] Speaker B: We'll walk this road together through the storm. Whatever.
[01:27:23] Speaker A: Welcome back. Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen to Z Live. I'm Cheval and your hope. So glad you could join us here today on Guardian Radio, 96.9 FM on this beautiful Monday afternoon. We have a call on the line. Go ahead, call over. Listening to you.
[01:27:37] Speaker D: So you doing Mr.
[01:27:38] Speaker C: Language?
[01:27:39] Speaker A: I'm good, man. How are you?
[01:27:40] Speaker D: All right, good. I'm just here listening to you and there's an interesting point you make regarding how they decided to let the road
[01:27:48] Speaker C: people
[01:27:50] Speaker D: go in the loan voices doing a direct loan for the roadworks.
You know, I was kind of sharp because what One of the things that confused me about the Budget again is the surplus talk. Now I read the newspaper where it talks about Naudi, they forecasting a two hundred and something million dollar surplus.
But then I still trying to figure out how to break down this Income versus expenses equals the profit plus or minus.
So are you looking forward to your budget program?
[01:28:22] Speaker A: No problem. No problem. Well you know on paper you can, you could organize the numbers to produce an outcome of your choosing because as I indicated to you guys before, the government plans its deficits and its surpluses, right? So this isn't as if it's an accident.
So if the government wants a on paper surplus, it could do that too. But the reality of the financial situation is what matters the most are people being able to be paid properly on time. Are vendors being able to be paid properly on time? It's government being chased for payments here and there is the treasury under enormous stream having to pay Peter to cut, rob people to pay Paul. So that's the reality of the budget, not the paper numbers that are reflected on a sheet.
[01:29:12] Speaker D: And that's why I feel it, you know. But then one of the things that really gets me is I saw a headline where they talk about 16 of the government ministries have provided a business plan as according to the law.
Right?
So they say like 57 or the 57 ministries and agencies, 27 was able to say they submitted their business plan to say how they're going to now become independent from off the government.
[01:29:40] Speaker A: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. First of all I don't even, none of that stuff impresses me because, because let's be clear here's for a minute.
Ministries don't operate independently. Ministries get the money the government give it and spend the money the government.
These are not independent enterprises.
[01:30:00] Speaker C: Right?
[01:30:02] Speaker A: Okay now they might be talking about business plans from the state owned enterprises, but not ministries. Ministries.
[01:30:08] Speaker D: I can send you, I can send you the article that's right in the newspaper.
[01:30:12] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You ministries get the money the government give it and spend the money the government agree for it to spend.
[01:30:19] Speaker D: I don't understand. So that's another point in my last nonsense.
[01:30:22] Speaker A: That's not, that's nonsense. There's no business plan by no ministry. What a ministry provides for in preparation for budget are justifications for certain expenditure. We're going to do this kind of travel to in the family island. We're going to do that kind of travel outside. The thing of we can do this on the training we would like to do, et cetera, et cetera. They provide that Justification. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance could ignore them or give them whatever couple dollars they decide. Nonsense.
[01:30:45] Speaker D: They circumvent the budget all the time. They go in there and say this is what we can pass the budgets for. And then when they pass the budget they tell treasury do something different. So it ain't no problem.
[01:30:54] Speaker A: I don't understand not trying to treasury do something. They tell ministries running from this and put inside that area and so forth and so forth. So it's the government, the politicians has run the budget.
[01:31:06] Speaker D: My last point is with Mr. Michael. You see this as a young man, 43, could be 44, who grew up
[01:31:13] Speaker C: in the church all his life From
[01:31:15] Speaker D: I was 12 to now. I and why being a servant of God and all we learn to do is be honest, you know, and live amongst and live like, like Jesus Christ.
But at the end of the day, Mr. Hakitas have to remember that he was a cabinet minister.
We talk about this. The mind being repatriated back from the US for our offense that he was charged for, he spent sentencing for. So that means Upper Enthalu the government should have always get information on what's going on that's coming in and out of our country.
So a case like this, I'm certain that Mr. Minister Akiras and cabinet had to discuss tasks and had to be prepared for it. Has some understanding that this is what's going on then. Secondly, he talked about his involvement at a certain time. But what's really, what's really scary to me is he openly admitted that he had involvement as a director.
So even if he was in the decision maker, he still was involved as a director understanding the structure of the business.
So he only had to be in dealing with the poison in charge who's spending the money paying them for this business. So at the end of day someone he had asked some questions or something had to come across his death. And what I thank God about this whole idea Mr. Mine if that plan didn't go down, we would have been having different conversations because we would have been seeing celebration and then the PLP talk all this and talk that but because God allow us to see what was behind the veil.
That's what I thank God for because I didn't even know about Mr. Gardner and how DT was entrenched in the government and all these government contracts and man, it's just. It's just ridiculous. That's why it offend me as a young man because I don't know what I keep is teaching me.
[01:32:59] Speaker A: I got you brother appreciate it.
Well, well said. Thank you very much.
This Texas I survival following up on a recent caller regarding altitudes and top notch in the ground due dial diligence need to be done on persons and if yes, isn't it reasonable to expect that a compliance program check would reveal Mr. Gardner's history?
You would be hard pressed to convince me the government did not know who Mr. Gardner was. Hard pressed.
Carl Bethel Doors the Minnesota came to office in 2017 and on day one were objecting to the contract that was signed the day before election with Mr. Gardner. But they could not get out of it. So I don't, I don't, I don't buy that. Anyway, I have one last question on the budget. One last question. I mean today for today, not ever, but just one last question.
Alukaya was sold the Concord Wilshire $420 million.
Where's the $120 million reflected in the budget?
I search the revenue sections of the budget and so forth looking for some reflection of revenue. We see because what that would be for the government would be. That'd be capital revenue.
That'd be capital revenue because shares where the money is. Where would the 120 million. Is it reflected in this budget? Is it reflected in the next budget? Where's the 120 seed for the Alaya Bran Lukaya?
I don't know. I'm just saying I. I don't know where that money. I don't see any $120 million reflected on any of the revenue streams in the last budget or this budget. And so I'm trying to figure out where that is.
Where's that money?
The government said it was. The government said the hotel is sold.
You have a call on the line.
[01:35:04] Speaker C: Call.
[01:35:04] Speaker A: I got two minutes. Go right ahead.
[01:35:06] Speaker C: Quickly, could you add 8140352 to your Zoom on the 5th?
[01:35:12] Speaker A: You got it. You got, you got it. You got to watch that to me. But because I remember now, listen, Mr.
[01:35:18] Speaker C: Lang, suppose you don't get the answers to the pertinent questions you're asking. Couldn't the government just continue, move on
[01:35:24] Speaker D: and just ignore you?
[01:35:25] Speaker A: Of course, of course, of course.
[01:35:27] Speaker C: Thank you much.
[01:35:28] Speaker A: Who are you? Yeah, of course. Okay.
Thank you. Well, I actually. So on this show I asked these questions and give you these explanations as part of your information and education. Let me tell you something. You all may not know this, right?
And I know your boy was living right. I was intentional about that. Intentional. Right.
But I'm listening to many of you now. I'm listening to your dialogue I'm listening to your vocabulary I'm listening to your your understanding and you are a much more informed public than you used to be. Now I'm not saying that's all together Z live but I hear your line I hear your vocabulary reflect in mind I hear some of your thought processes reflecting mine so and on maybe some of the other spaces and places but that was the aim and that's the objective so whether I get an answer or not is irrelevant if you better if you are better if you have a better understanding if you have no knowledge that we have done our job you've been listening to Z live I'm survival I'm your host so glad that you could join us here today. God spares life. We'll be back with you again tomorrow. You all have a fantastic afternoon.
[01:36:48] Speaker B: The wall Let me know that you're not alone I love if you feel like you're.
