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  • 1 year ago
The Strategic Services Agency, which is presently under an audit by its acting Director, has received an allocation for fiscal 2025 of 270 million dollars.

And an Opposition MP asked the National Security Minister in the Parliament today, how much of that 270 million is allocated for CCTV cameras.

The Minister's response - just over 69 million dollars.

Juhel Browne reports.
Transcript
00:00During the Standing Finance Committee's examination of the government's budget
00:04for fiscal 2025 on Friday, Barataria San Juan MP Saddam Hussein sought details
00:10from National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hines about the allocation
00:14for what the government calls the nation's premier intelligence gathering
00:19agency. The SSA strategic services agency. Minister this is one of the
00:25largest expenditure for the SSA over the period of time that this
00:31present administration has been in power where the SSA is going to be
00:35allocated 270 million dollars out of the appropriation coming out for the
00:42Ministry of National Security. This reflects a 67 million dollar increase
00:48from the last fiscal year. Budget documents show that for fiscal 2024 the
00:54SSA had an estimated allocation of 270 million dollars and a revised estimated
01:00expenditure of 202.4 million dollars. The government's 2024 financial year ended
01:07on September 30th. In March of this year the office of the Prime Minister said
01:12the SSA's director was sent on leave. He was subsequently fired. The OPM also
01:17said that the new acting SSA director retired a Brigadier General Anthony
01:21Phillips Spencer is currently engaged in initiating an extensive review and
01:27audits of the agency. Remuneration package for the director of the SSA
01:32that's what I said. Would you provide that? I would consider that. No not
01:40consider whether you would provide. I would consider that. No we have to have
01:43an answer. You have an answer. In July of this year Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley
01:49told the Parliament that the ongoing audit of the SSA had so far revealed
01:53there had been a plot by some in the SSA to replace the political leadership. On
01:58Friday MP Hussain sought further clarification about the SSA's estimated
02:04allocation for fiscal 2025. Minister out of this 270 million dollars how much
02:11goes towards the expenditure for CCTV cameras? Minister Hines said an
02:16arrangement was made to purchase and utilize 2,500 CCTV cameras that could
02:22assist in the provision of intelligence. And therefore in those circumstances an
02:27expenditure of 69 million two hundred and fifty eight thousand six hundred and
02:36sixty six dollars and seventy eight cents was expended in respect of that
02:42matter. The fiber to have supported this system which I must tell you will
02:49support another 2,500 which are at the moment being approached or procured. The
02:57backbone was contracted and was done and that would have cost fifty five point
03:05one million dollars. MP Hussain sought confirmation on which companies are
03:10providing those services. So Minister is it correct to say that Johnson Control
03:15who the Canadian company that provides the cameras will pay 69 million and
03:20Digicel which is in charge of the backbone is paid fifty five point one
03:23million dollars? I have just indicated to you what the backbone would cost. And is
03:30it Digicel? And the cameras. And that is Digicel? Yes. And the cameras is Johnson's
03:36Control? Yes. In response to a request from MP Hussain, Minister Hines said he
03:41would consider providing the cost of each CCTV camera in writing.
03:46Jule Brown, TV6 News.
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