Speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA) yesterday, March 10, Premier Fahie described Penn’s claims as ‘deliberately dishonest’.

“I am not going to sit and let that be said without addressing it,” the Premier said while addressing the matter.

“During the pandemic, we even went and helped our fishers and farmers and I’m hearing persons – and to be blunt, including the Leader of the Opposition – saying that we squandered the Social Security money and telling the public that we gave it to cronies,” he said.

According to the Premier, this was the same language used by former governor Augustus Jaspert and the Commission of Inquiry (COI).

The Premier told the House that the fisherfolk and farmers grant came out of a $22.5M sum that remained after funds had been expended to address other important issues.

Where the Social Security grant went

The Premier, who also serves as Finance Minister, argued that at least $8.5 million of the grant was expended towards things that should’ve been taken care of a long time ago.

Offering details of how the grant was spent, Premier Fahie said $7.5 million of the funds went towards paying National Health Insurance – a bill he accused the Opposition Leader and the former National Democratic Party (NDP) government of failing to pay during their time in office.

Premier Fahie explained that another $1 million of the SSB grant went towards setting up the unemployment fund, which he said Labour Minister Vincent Wheatley was currently working on.

“Never was there an unemployment benefit for our people, even with [hurricanes] Irma and Maria,” Fahie said.

A myth and a lie

And according to the Premier, a further $9 million of the grant went towards housing development for persons left without homes after the hurricanes of 2017.

“So really and truly – and I said it when I went to the COI – this is a myth that we had $40 million and squandered it between cronies and friends,” the Premier told the House.

“That’s not true. And to be blunt, it’s a lie,” he added.

Premier Fahie said the claims made by the Opposition Leader were an inflation of the amount spent.

“We have to make it clear that the Social Security Board grant was $40 million,” he stated.

He explained that persons were hurting and clamouring for help at the start of the pandemic and his government tried to meet their needs.

Premier Fahie argued that persons will likely judge his government now with the benefit of hindsight but added that hindsight is always perfect.