The relative portion of recurrent expenditure that the Ralph Gonsalves administration spends on its diplomatic missions annually has remained unchanged since 2001, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on Monday.
“They say that these high commissioners and ambassadors are living high on the hog,” he told the opening ceremony of Kingstown’s biennial consultation with its heads of missions and consulates.
The prime minister was speaking in apparent response to opposition senator, Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, who, at a town hall meeting in New York last month spoke of what she said was the high cost of operating the SVG embassies and consulates abroad, “at a time when St. Vincent and the Grenadines is in such dire financial straits”.
She further said that while the Gonsalves government has argued for tightening of the belts of its citizens, the administration is “splurging abroad in the embassies”.
However, Gonsalves said that despite all the expansion and additional representations, the government’s spending on foreign missions as a percentage of recurrent expenditure is the same as in 2001.
“Obviously, the absolute number is higher, the absolute number with the expenditure on the missions is higher than in 2001 but so, too, the extent of recurrent expenditure and the best measure is to take a percentage in both years — the comparative measure.
“You know, persons should stick to elementary law and Grenadines affairs if they don’t understand foreign policy,” he said.
Gonsalves said that in 2001, the government only had missions in New York, Washington the United Kingdom and Toronto.
He said there was a separate contribution with the OECS to the Brussels mission and another for the OECS mission in Canada.
There was and still is the UNESCO mission, which is self-funded.
Since then, the country has opened diplomatic outposts in Caracas, Havana, and New York.
“It was 3.67 million [dollars] in 2001. It was 1.2 per cent of total recurrent expenditure, inclusive of debt servicing,” Gonsalves said.
He said that if debt servicing is subtracted, the government’s spending on its foreign missions is 1.46 per cent.
In 2018, for missions in New York, Washington, Cuba, Venezuela, a New York Consulate and the Toronto Consulate, which are funded by the government, the total expenditure for those missions is EC$9.43 million or 1.21 per cent of recurrent expenditure, inclusive of debt servicing.
“Despite all those additions,” Gonsalves said, adding that without debt servicing, the percentage in 2018 is 1.52 per cent.
“But you notice the extent on the range,” he said, adding that his government sold three “bad buildings” that the previous administration had purchased.
“They bought a building in Dallas for a tourism representative. There was one employee, a tourism employee in Dallas. One! I don’t know how many tourists came from Dallas. I want the whole country to hear me. I am not talking politics here; I am talking policy.”
Gonsalves said the tourism representative lived in a house owned by the government of SVG, but purchased in her name.
He said that when Kingstown decided to sell the house, “it was problem to get her out of the house”.
“Fortunately, we had all the receipts from the monies which were sent by the Ministry of Finance. Yes. There was a legal matter. Can you imagine that? It was in her name,” he further stated, adding that the matter was ventilated in Parliament.
His government also sold government properties in London.
“I read where they say at their New York town meeting — I’m talking policy and please forgive me those who are from overseas missions. I am not talking politics. I will not involve you in our internal politics but I have to talk policy,” he said at the event, which was also invited by diplomats accredited to Kingstown.
“They say that these high commissioners and ambassadors are living high on the hog,” Gonsalves said, adding that the High Commissioner to London, Cenio Lewis, commutes by train from his residence outside of London to get into London.
“You hear that? If they want to know what’s happening, ask Ralph.”
He said that before 2001, Kingstown had also bought a building for its tourism representation in Toronto but was paying rent elsewhere.
“So I was passing through Toronto so I say, ‘Leh me go and see this thing.’ The downstairs was full ah mud. A whole set ah old paper scattered. It was in a part of the town where Vincentians had told them don’t buy it there because it was out of the way for a consulate…
“I want the people to hear it. This sounds like somebody living high on the hog? And given the monies which we are spending here and the quality of the representation,” the prime minister said.
Let’s be fair here Mr. PM, where transparency is an issue, members of the opposition or any opposition for that matter; along with spectators can only do their assessment on the limitation to what they know, it is Politics.
Then on that basis; for you to assert such comment>> “You know, persons should stick to elementary law and Grenadines affairs if they don’t understand foreign policy,” is irrelevant.
Doing a public disclosure after the rumour mills, would not confirm the elementary level and limitation to the capability of anyone but the monopoly and the ability within the current governance to suppress.
However, I do support your suggestion that>> “If they want to know what’s happening, ask Ralph.” Fair enough, as I believe in working together with transparency for the success of SVG, the people of land.
Sorry simply do not believe most of it because it is basically given by a self confessed liar.
I agree! Many politicians tell lies far more frequently than the truth. This includes all the misleading statements, diversions and all the other tools they use to trick and fool the people into believing what they want them to believe.
It has already been alleged that the diplomatic mission in NY has attained money for passports in an other than “legal” manner. This ULP Government is so terrible economically that an audit could not even be done on that diplomatic mission in NY. So, in light of this fact, how can the PM tell us that the budget is the same as that in 2001? Calling him a liar is an understatement!
Mr. PM, you speak about relative (by comparison to)numbers. Relative(in comparison to) to the original (starting) amounts, which are 20 years old. You even admit that the absolute (real) cost has increased. So senator Bacchus is right in her assessment. Logic would dictate that if you started with three missions and now you have seven missions that the cost would increase( at least by a factor of 4. (7/1=7)). Soon you might want a mission in Russia, Saudi-Arabia, Abuja etc so there will be additional real (positive increment of) cost. In fact, if you look at the wider picture you also will note that due to inflation, maintenance and other factors the operational cost increases. So don’t come with these ambiguous statements and try to convince us that relative to 20 years ago the price-tag remained the same. Sen Bacchus is right, not even the almighty United States has a mission on each of the caribbean islands. Why? because it is not cost effective. I am on the side of avoiding the confusing phrases, as a basic principle of communication.
Does anyone remember when Gonsalves told us in some instances 7 was greater than 10, well this sounds like another application of that logic and dynastical mathematics.
Sir Henry Wotton born 30 March 1568 – died December 1639 he was an English author, diplomat and politician and who sat in the British House of Commons in 1614 and 1625. Sir Henry is often quoted as saying, “An ambassador is an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country.”
In St Vincent and the Grenadines case can we change that to “The ambassador is a person of questionable reputation sent to beg abroad for the relief of the country.” ?
James problem is how do we know it is only the country benefiting from the begging?
We most certainly do not know my dear Jolly Green if it is only the country who would be benefiting from this persistent begging. Worst, judging from the Brazil Car wash affair, who knows what on earth is going on, especially as we are being denied a that long awaited “FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2018/03/brazil-car-wash-scandal-180307105602756.html
Just imagine if the opposition decided to expose the fact that Ralph Gonsalves gets paid far more government money than Donald Trump. Obama is an exception. Obama was by far the highest paid president in history. His youngest daughter got paid more in benefits than Donald Trump. When we hear about our Prime Minister’s salary it does not include his travel expenses, Per Deim, Entertainment Allowance, etc… Not to mention the fact that he does not pay rent or even utility bills for his government Residence. If the opposition dared to expose this I am sure the wordsmith would come up with statements such as this: That he is getting paid relatively the same as Mitchell. Yes! And I have relatively the same amount of money as Warren Buffet. Like saying I have “more or less” the same wealth as Bill Gates.