Gov’t calls for Grenada Invitational accountability
AMIDST A controversy over unpaid monies to service providers and athletes, Prime Minister of Grenada Dr Keith Mitchell has called for Grenada Invitational Inc to account for the monies which it spent on the athletics meet.
Grenada Invitational Inc, which spearheaded the organising of the Grenada Invitational, is reported to have failed to meet its financial obligations to some service providers and athletes, who participated in the 2018 event last April.
It has led to the resignation of the former chairman of the company Michael Bascombe, who blamed the situation on a breakdown in communications between the directors and himself.
However, Dr Mitchell said Bascombe’s resignation was simply not enough, saying that when Government invested its resources into any initiative, it needed to know that money was properly used.
“Clearly they have to sort out their individual problems, but it’s not about an individual resigning, that’s not our key concern,” he insisted.
“Our concern is mainly that if Government supports something, an image of the country is involved and of course if we have invested resources, it has to be accounted for.
“Government supported the activity based on what we thought was good and we believed it went well for the country and Government has insisted that those monies must be accounted for, and so far we have not gotten an account of what we have given and supported,” Dr Mitchell, who is also the Minister of Finance said.
The Prime Minister said Minister of Sports Kate Lewis was expected to meet with organisers of the event as soon as possible, in an attempt to rectify the situation.
“So we are concerned because the image of the country is involved and we clearly would want them to come to terms with this. The Minister of Sports will be engaging the parties involved and not just the person who has resigned. Other members will be engaged to see how best we can solve this problem and go forward.
“What I can say is that Government’s resources will not be put into something where the monies are not being accounted for,” Dr Mitchell maintained.