Minister: Venezuelan housing money done!
When it comes to plain speaking there are few politicians anywhere who can compete with Michael Finnegan. Now, only a week into his new job as Minister of Housing, the four term area rep from Mesopotamia is delivering the news that many people didn’t want to hear. That is, the Venezuelan housing money is finished, claiming that in the three weeks prior to the February seventh election the P.U.P. government gave out a total of fifteen point three million dollars in grants and loans. Saying that the campaign tactic was immoral, if not illegal, Finnegan said that’s not the way things will run on his watch.
Michael Finnegan, Minister of Housing
“There is absolutely no money at the Ministry of Housing in connection with this housing project. There are no pending cheques. There is absolutely nada at the Ministry of Housing. So people whit the belief that the programme is ongoing, we put out the release to erase that feeling. People with the belief that there are pending cheques at the Ministry of Housing, there are no cheques at the Ministry of Housing. The money was finished and concluded in three weeks. I do not believe that when the life of the government has come to an end and you are running up to election, I don’t believe that government should be allowed to spend the people’s money in this kind of fashion. I believe that that, if it is not illegal, it is immoral. And the new government must legislate so that something like this should not happen again. That is my humble view.”
Stewart Krohn
“Do you recall, Mr. Finnegan, a little bit over ten years ago you were specially appointed Minister of Mobilisation and given a multi-million dollar budget to do what looks very similar to what you are accusing the P.U.P. of doing?”
Michael Finnegan
“We were never given a multi-million dollar budget in the Ministry of National Mobilisation; that had never gotten off the ground. That is not true and even if that was true, the people of Belize and the media, the media on a whole who is the serious watchdog and the protectors of this country are saying things like those are wrong. And if we—if back then, then years ago we were guilty of it, that doesn’t justify what they are doing and it will not justify if we turn around and do it another time. That kind of governance must come to an end. We are in a new era.”
Stewart Krohn
“Those people who have received loans, are you satisfied that your ministry has the proper documentation and those people will have to pay back those loans as planned?”
Michael Finnegan
“The government have absolutely no system at the Ministry of Housing for any of these monies to be paid back. These people were never told that you were given a loan and your paying date begins such and such and it will conclude such and such a date. They have given out this money with the intention that this was a free for all, with no intention of government receiving back it’s money.”
Stewart Krohn
“So if you got a loan in the last month before the election you gone clear.”
Michael Finnegan
“In my view, in my view that is the situation. We in the ministry now will have to regulate the situation. Stewart, you know what is shaming? And I hope this part of the interview is heard. What is shameful and disgraceful, that I know people in my division who are rock head, received grants—housing grant. How can you give people who own no house, who live in no house, who are not responsible for a household, give them taxpayers money as housing grant? That is immoral.”
Finnegan produced a list of grant and loan recipients from his constituency, pointing out instances where several residents at a single address received grants and loans, while others who did not even own houses were given funds. He said that his ministry will do its best to ensure that those who received loans, pay them back. He added that in due course the government will access low interest funds to initiate its own properly administered grant and loan programmes.
