Chamber warns governments have encouraged waste of public funds

The Chamber of Commerce has hit out at the current and previous governments for "condoning and seemingly encouraging the squandering public funds".

In a hard-hitting statement, the Chamber expressed its concern at several media reports of flagrant abuse, bad management, dubious decision processes, conflicts of interest and outright lack of coordination between different elements of the public sector, with taxpayers expected to foot the bill.

“Continued reports in the press suggest that the situation has, at some point, gotten out of hand,” the Chamber said, while calling on the government to lead by example and ensure that taxpayers are given full satisfaction through the judicious use of the resources that they have contributed.  

“We have repeatedly advocated compliance and adherence to all legal responsibilities within the business community,” the Chamber said. “But while businesses keep their side of the bargain, they are disheartened to learn of long patterns of dubious judgement in the public sector that the country has clearly not managed to eradicate. Evidently, there cannot be fiscal morality on one side and total disregard on the other

“Clearly things can only improve, and improve they must. The business community expects and deserves nothing less.”