Espat Blasts Government for Petrocaribe Spending

Julius Espat

Espat has led the Opposition’s charge where the use of Petrocaribe money is concerned. In fact, he is named as the claimant in a lawsuit seeking the Court’s judgment on the legality of spending Petrocaribe monies without first getting the approval of the House. His constant cry is that government is using the monies like it is theirs to spend freely, without accountability.

Julius Espat, Deputy Leader, P.U.P.

“It hurts me. I am ashamed because we don’t have any new hospitals. We don’t have any new schools. I have children lining up right now in my office that need scholarships to go to school. Where have we invested in our people? What have we done with the Petrocaribe money that guarantees our economy will grow? We are talking about millions and millions of dollars – not forty million, not fifty million. We’re talking close to five hundred million dollars, and there is nothing in that investment that guarantees a bright future for our country. How will we repay those loans? It is not a grant. And they are playing with it like it is their money and the Prime Minister is talking about accountability. Accountability is not spending money and then saying I blew it on two streets. That’s not accountability. When a man comes to you and says…the Mayor says he painted your house…well how much did that cost? Did it cost two hundred thousand dollars to paint the front part on Albert Street? Are you sure? And that’s what you call accountability.”