PM criticised for his handling of ADOMS matter

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A spokesperson for the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) is criticising Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s handling of the matter surrounding the cost over-runs of the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS), which is still under construction.
On Saturday, Browne called on the ADOMS board to fire the project manager who was hired to construct the new headquarters. He declared that no money would be approved, nor will ADOMS be allowed to borrow money unless the project manager Wendell Marshall is fired.
The building is still under construction well past its due date and it is millions of dollars over budget, according to the government and after successive requests for more money to finish the building, ADOMS representatives again asked for more money last week.
Anthony Stuart, who is the DNA’s spokesperson on Finance, Economic Development and Corporate Governance, outlined that the Prime Minister is somewhat misguided in his intentions.
He said that the prime minister’s call for the sacking of only the project manager would suggest that he knows a bit more than what was disclosed to the public.
“If you have a board and other persons on that board, then it begs the question why not let an internal audit determine where the money went?” Stuart said.
He added, “If any sacking should take place, sack everybody. If not, conduct or institute an independent audit, ask the director of the audits and his team to initiate one so that we could get an understanding as to why this project had doubled the estimated cost from the onset.”
(More in today’s Daily Observer)

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