Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered an audit of all cell phone bills of ministers and state ministers.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s office says this is to confirm the accuracy of information in the public domain.
Media reports emerged yesterday, that Finance Minister Audley Shaw had cell phone bills totalling $8.3 m. The hefty phone bill was for the period March 2016 to February 2017.
The Prime Minister convened a meeting of Cabinet Ministers this afternoon (July 11) to discuss and review the issue of communication costs and high cellular phone bills, being incurred for roaming and data charges.
Mr. Holness said the situation is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately.
Coming from the meeting, it was acknowledged that there was no standard, clear and consistent policy being applied across government, regarding the treatment of communication expenses for ministers and ministers of state.
The Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Finance to review and report on the respective policies for the provision of communication services including cell phones, operating in the various ministries.
This is to allow cabinet to make a comprehensive decision on how communication services and expenses for ministers are treated.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has directed that cellular phone expenses be capped, meaning a limit is placed on the bills.
The statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, says the Finance Ministry has been tasked to advise Prime Minister Andrew Holness within a week, on the appropriate amount for the cap to be paid by each ministry, for the minister’s cellular phone bills.
According to the statement, any amount exceeding the cap should be the responsibility of the respective ministers, unless otherwise approved by the permanent secretary.
The Cabinet members have agreed that public concerns about the level of some bills are valid.
In furtherance of their ministerial responsibility to be frugal with the public purse they have committed to reimburse the government retroactively the difference between actual bill and the capped amount to be determined and imposed.
In the meantime, the Minister of Technology is being mandated to enter into discussions with telecommunications providers to devise standard cell phone and data packages for government ministers.
The Prime Minister received the commitment of the Cabinet to ensure that the greatest care is exercised in the discharge of their duties and the use of public resource.