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  • 1 year ago
As the Standing Finance Committee examines the billions spent on the Health sector, it was uncovered that 15 million dollars was spent on settling a legal claim.

Transcript
00:00The Standing Finance Committee took upon the $6.7 billion allocated to the Health Ministry
00:06for fiscal 2025.
00:09The Finance Minister himself explained how the allocations to pharmaceuticals is determined.
00:15The cost of pharmaceuticals is getting up to almost a billion dollars a year.
00:21We have two ways of funding that.
00:23We can put it into the appropriation bill and appropriate a certain amount.
00:31And we also borrow money to finance the difference.
00:35We made a decision this year that we would put an appropriation of $625 million.
00:40We will still have to borrow.
00:42What would have happened in 2024 is that loan financing would have dealt with quite a bit
00:51of the invoices coming from the suppliers and therefore using general revenues is not
00:57required.
00:58But the drugs are still purchased and they still have to be paid for.
01:03It was clarified no blood pressure kits would be distributed this fiscal year.
01:08We have already distributed 5,000 blood pressure monitors to the country, which we got as a
01:15gift from the People's Republic of China.
01:18And we had that launch at the San Fernando General Hospital some months ago.
01:23So that's already done.
01:24So, Madam Chairman, if you'll allow me, for the record, as I correctly said, those were
01:30already distributed and I made no promise going forward into 2025, as you have inaccurately
01:36alleged.
01:37$15 million, it was explained, was spent in 2024 to settle one legal matter.
01:45So it is a matter engaging the Attorney General under FOIA.
01:51Can that information be provided to us?
01:55I will have to confirm with the Attorney General, as I just said, it is a matter attracting
02:01the attention of the Honorable Attorney General.
02:03So, Minister, are you confirming that $15 million is with respect to a legal settlement
02:08for an FOIA?
02:10I am saying to you that the issue of who is the attorney and the actual fees, I don't
02:16have that.
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