It is bad enough that in the midst of a debt crisis when the government has insisted that they have no money to help the poor and dispossessed to survive, the prime minister of Jamaica, Hon Portia Simpson Miller stubbornly maintains a cabinet of over 20 ministers to administer the affairs of a mere 2.7 million people.
When the economic crisis first threatened to totally devastate the nation, concerned people called on the government to take a symbolic pay decrease to demonstrate to the hurting nation that they too were prepared to make sacrifices, but even this symbolism was resisted by the prime minster and despite the cut backs in education, health, security and other areas critical to the welfare of the nation, the government has done nothing to curb the voracious appetite of the petty politicians who deem themselves the gods of our universe as the strut around in the high end vehicles supplied by taxpayers and flaunt all the expensive perks of power.
We should therefore not be overly surprised that members of a government like this has also been been abusing the public purse in how they use the taxpayer provided cell phones, as they no doubt, individually set out to impress god knows whom.
So here we have Arnaldo Brown, a juniour minister to boot, racking up a cell phone bill of $1.09 million for one year, according to the excellent investigative reporting done by Radio Jamaica (RJR).
And his is just the most obscene of the revelations so far as only half of the cabinet has supplied the information requested by RJR and that half alone has racked up total bill in excess of $5 million for chatting for one year.
We have yet to hear the figures relating to the other half.
What is enlightening too is the appearance that those who have been the most expensive in this exercise have been the least productive. For what has Arnaldo Brown been doing that is a real asset to the country? On the other hand we see where Justice Minister Golding who has been doing a reasonable job, has not cost the taxpayer one red cent for unnecessary chatting. That tells quite a story doesn't it?
Of course my advice to all who are expecting the Prime minister to do anything about this latest national disgrace is, please do not hold your breaths.
Excerpts of the RJR News Report on the Cost of Chatting by some members of the the Jamaican cabinet.
Foreign Affairs State Minister Arnaldo Brown's bill for the year was the highest.
The Junior Minister, who roams on his foreign trips, had a $1.09m cell phone bill for the twelve months.
For June this year alone, Mr. Brown's cell phone was 410-thousand dollars.
He recorded $150,000 in October last year and 170-thousand dollars in December.
His senior minister AJ Nicholson calls cost $230,000 for the year.... about a quarter of his junior's cell phone bill.
The next highest bill was that of Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell...at over 930-thousand dollars.
He has two cell phones.
For one month, Mr. Paulwell's Digicel phone bill was $116,000.
His junior minister Julian Robinson cell phone bill for the year was $76,000.
Health Minister Dr. Fenton Ferguson and Environment Minister Robert Pickersgill inched close to $800,000 in talk time.
Dr. Ferguson with this two cell phones totalled $749,000 for the year.
Mr. Pickersgill charge was $791,000...except his ministry submitted only 11 bills.
In June this year, Mr. Pickersgill's cell phone bill was $142,000.
The same ministry spent $110,000 on junior minister Ian Hayles account for the entire year.
But from January to May this year, that account was in credit to the tune of $48,000 dollars because the ministry had apparently overpaid the bill. The ministry says it had overpaid in January...though it is said by $18,000.
With two phones, Tourism Minister Wykeham McNeil's cell phone bill for the was almost half a million dollars... but again only 11 bills.
In one month talk charges were $153,000.
His junior minister Damion Crawford's cell phone will was $364,000.
In February, his bill was $180,000.
Local Government Minister Noel Arscott's bill was $289,000 and junior Colin Fagan's $200,000 for ten months.
Transport, Works and Housing and its two cabinet ministers and one state minister combined for over $400,000 bill.
Richard Azan's cell phone bill was $53,000 for entire year.
Youth Minister Lisa Hanna's bill was low relatively compared with the others...$45,000.
Mark Golding, the Justice Minister, does not have a government mobile phone assigned to him.
Of the records we received, National Security Minister Peter Bunting $32,000 bill was the lowest.
Of note too is that his monthly bill cell phone bill remained at also $2,700.
The ministries of Finance, Education and Labour and Social Security have not responded.
The Agriculture, Investment, Industry and Commerce ministries have promised to provided their bills shortly.
When the economic crisis first threatened to totally devastate the nation, concerned people called on the government to take a symbolic pay decrease to demonstrate to the hurting nation that they too were prepared to make sacrifices, but even this symbolism was resisted by the prime minster and despite the cut backs in education, health, security and other areas critical to the welfare of the nation, the government has done nothing to curb the voracious appetite of the petty politicians who deem themselves the gods of our universe as the strut around in the high end vehicles supplied by taxpayers and flaunt all the expensive perks of power.
We should therefore not be overly surprised that members of a government like this has also been been abusing the public purse in how they use the taxpayer provided cell phones, as they no doubt, individually set out to impress god knows whom.
So here we have Arnaldo Brown, a juniour minister to boot, racking up a cell phone bill of $1.09 million for one year, according to the excellent investigative reporting done by Radio Jamaica (RJR).
And his is just the most obscene of the revelations so far as only half of the cabinet has supplied the information requested by RJR and that half alone has racked up total bill in excess of $5 million for chatting for one year.
We have yet to hear the figures relating to the other half.
What is enlightening too is the appearance that those who have been the most expensive in this exercise have been the least productive. For what has Arnaldo Brown been doing that is a real asset to the country? On the other hand we see where Justice Minister Golding who has been doing a reasonable job, has not cost the taxpayer one red cent for unnecessary chatting. That tells quite a story doesn't it?
Of course my advice to all who are expecting the Prime minister to do anything about this latest national disgrace is, please do not hold your breaths.
Excerpts of the RJR News Report on the Cost of Chatting by some members of the the Jamaican cabinet.
Foreign Affairs State Minister Arnaldo Brown's bill for the year was the highest.
The Junior Minister, who roams on his foreign trips, had a $1.09m cell phone bill for the twelve months.
For June this year alone, Mr. Brown's cell phone was 410-thousand dollars.
He recorded $150,000 in October last year and 170-thousand dollars in December.
His senior minister AJ Nicholson calls cost $230,000 for the year.... about a quarter of his junior's cell phone bill.
The next highest bill was that of Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell...at over 930-thousand dollars.
He has two cell phones.
For one month, Mr. Paulwell's Digicel phone bill was $116,000.
His junior minister Julian Robinson cell phone bill for the year was $76,000.
Health Minister Dr. Fenton Ferguson and Environment Minister Robert Pickersgill inched close to $800,000 in talk time.
Dr. Ferguson with this two cell phones totalled $749,000 for the year.
Mr. Pickersgill charge was $791,000...except his ministry submitted only 11 bills.
In June this year, Mr. Pickersgill's cell phone bill was $142,000.
The same ministry spent $110,000 on junior minister Ian Hayles account for the entire year.
But from January to May this year, that account was in credit to the tune of $48,000 dollars because the ministry had apparently overpaid the bill. The ministry says it had overpaid in January...though it is said by $18,000.
With two phones, Tourism Minister Wykeham McNeil's cell phone bill for the was almost half a million dollars... but again only 11 bills.
In one month talk charges were $153,000.
His junior minister Damion Crawford's cell phone will was $364,000.
In February, his bill was $180,000.
Local Government Minister Noel Arscott's bill was $289,000 and junior Colin Fagan's $200,000 for ten months.
Transport, Works and Housing and its two cabinet ministers and one state minister combined for over $400,000 bill.
Richard Azan's cell phone bill was $53,000 for entire year.
Youth Minister Lisa Hanna's bill was low relatively compared with the others...$45,000.
Mark Golding, the Justice Minister, does not have a government mobile phone assigned to him.
Of the records we received, National Security Minister Peter Bunting $32,000 bill was the lowest.
Of note too is that his monthly bill cell phone bill remained at also $2,700.
The ministries of Finance, Education and Labour and Social Security have not responded.
The Agriculture, Investment, Industry and Commerce ministries have promised to provided their bills shortly.
A lot of info but a lot missing too. Could be more conclusive. Only 8 out of 10.
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