Travel spree: Minority leader alleges squandering on THA trips

THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris said the administration is operating "under the myth of transparency" as he raised concern about overseas travel by THA members.

Speaking on the Minority Report on Tuesday, aired via Tobago Updates, Morris said: “Of course you would have to embark on overseas travel from time to time, but when you look at the frequency of the travels, when you look at the number of persons having to travel, and when you look at the reasons for travel, it begs the question: is it simply travelling to conduct public affairs, or is it in some instances travelling for pleasure, travelling for leisure, and also travelling to boost the pockets of some?”

He said when one looks at the per-diem allowance received for travel, it would be recognised that if done frequently, one can make a lot of money.

What was more, he added, “When you look at the duration of some these trips, where it is contradicting and contravening the very circular memorandum that treats with overseas travel, it tells you that you should leave as close to when the event is happening and then you shall depart as soon as and as early as possible as the event ended.

"But you’re seeing persons leaving...in some instances two days before the event, three days and also, you’re seeing people returning sometimes three days after the event.”

He said this issue is of grave concern to him, which has even made him submit a question to the chief secretary for oral response at the THA plenary sitting. The question asked the chief secretary to provide a list of all overseas trips and the cost for December 6, 2021- November 30, 2022, a list of those on each trip, a breakdown of the cost per person, and the purpose of each trip.

He said the question was filed in November and tabled in December.

"This is a question filed to the chief secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly and we are in March and to date, that question has been unanswered.”

“This is why we’re saying that this administration is operating under the myth of transparency," he added. "Here you are, a chief secretary telling you that he is going to be very open with the population, he is going to answer the questions, and when we ask a simple question...up to this day, almost four months after, we are unable to get an answer. And when we ask the relevant agencies, which is the clerk of the assembly, through the assembly legislature, to follow up, he is ducking, running and hiding – and the question has to be, what is there to hide?”

He said the chief secretary needs to answer the questions.

“Is it that he recognises that some of the trips that they went on were of no real benefit and value to Tobago and he cannot justify it?

"I am asking Tobagonians for us to call on the chief secretary to answer the questions, because we must demand transparency in governance, and it cannot be that you’re pretending to show us what you want to show us, and when we ask the questions that we want to know, you’re ducking, you’re running and you’re hiding.”

Morris's comments came three days after it was announced that Augustine would be stopping in Jamaica, after leading the Tobago contingent at the ITB Berlin trade show in Germany, to participate in a MOU signing with the University of Technology.

Newsday understands that some of the other THA officials who took part in the MOU signing left Tobago since March 8.

The MOU signing and trip to Jamaica had not been announced prior to Sunday.