Shadow Finance Minister for the main Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nazim Burke has lashed out at government for what he said is its mal-administration of the country finances.

Burke, the Member of Parliament for the St. George North-east Constituency, attacked the ruling New National Party (NNP) of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell during his response to the 2006 Budget as presented by Finance Minister Anthony Boatswain.

During his response on Monday, the opposition member said it is precisely because of bad administration the government is now forced to embark on a structural adjustment programme in the country.

He said that while he does not wish to throw “cold water” on the presentation made by the Minister of Finance, he holds the view that the adjustment programme of the Mitchell government will suffer the same fate as those “empty promises” made by the regime over the years.

He described the budget as one that Grenadians cannot trust since it is coming from a Government that the people can no longer trust. Burke, a lawyer by profession and with some training in economics, presented to parliament a set of proposals on behalf of the congress party aimed at improving the country’s revenue intake, reducing government expenditure and possibly doing away with the need to pursue the controversial National Reconstruction Levy (NRL).

He told the House of Representatives that the proposals being put forward if utilized properly can save the country at least $10 million. He called for cuts to be made to Category 340 in the vote of most government ministries in which a number of political activists of the Mitchell government received monthly salaries.

Burke also suggested that government should do away with the category styled as “Rent of Assets” under the Vote for the Office of the Governor General. He was quickly stopped in his tracks by Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Elvin Nimrod who reminded the house that the Governor General should not be debated in Parliament.

This was an obvious move by the Attorney-General to restrain Burke from delving into the $13, 000.00 a month allegedly paid to the Governor General, Sir Daniel Williams for staying at his home in Westerhall, St. David’s following the destruction of Government house by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.

Government sources told this newspaper that the $13, 000.00 a month figure is separate from the $12, 000 a month salary being paid by the State to sir Daniel for carrying out the functions of Governor-General. Burke accused the Mitchell government of being very evasive on the current unemployment situation in the country.

He also said that Grenadians are the most taxed population in the entire sub-regional grouping of the Organsiation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). He made a plea to government to cut back on its squandering of money rather than taxing the people any further.

He referred to the payment of a “propagandist” who is attached to the Government Information Service (GIS) and the establishment of an Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago being funded from “340” that can be cut from the expenditure.

Burke also chastised the Mitchell government for wasting taxpayers money over the years to finance projects like the collapsed National Stadium at queen’s Park, the failed Call Centre initiative, the Garden Group project involving small hotels in the south of the island, and the Levera Hotel and Golf Course Project.

“How can you trust a Government who tells you that they don’t have a debt problem when the country’s debt is $90 million”, he asked. Burke told Parliament that the NNP government led by Dr. Mitchell is not up to the challenges of managing Grenada.

He said the Congress party is ready to pick up the challenge and bring back Grenada on a sound economic and financial footing. He charged that from the introduction to the conclusion of the budget as presented by Minister Boatswain, the document cannot be trusted.

“There is need for a more responsible government”, he said, adding that the conduct of the government “is inconsistent with their words”, he added.