Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced a new Cabinet oversight mechanism requiring that all major government payments receive Cabinet review before they are authorized — a move aimed at tightening financial control and preventing unauthorized expenditures.
During his Browne and Browne Show, the Prime Minister said the reform follows evidence that some Treasury officers and private sector partners had bypassed existing safeguards to fast-track large payments. Browne said Cabinet will now directly review all high-value disbursements to ensure “nothing passes without scrutiny.”
He explained that some major business players had cultivated “captured public servants” within the Treasury who prioritized their payments over smaller local suppliers. “Sometimes a little man can’t get paid for the bread he supplies to the prison,” Browne said. “But the big players go every week and collect their checks.”
According to Browne, the system allowed the influential few to exploit gaps in oversight. “They violated the program. They know they have to get a Cabinet decision,” he said. “They go to their contact in Public Works, sign off, and send it to Treasury. You only know after the fact when the vehicles are paid.”
To stop that, Browne said all significant Treasury payments will now require clearance from both the Ministry of Finance and Cabinet. “I called the Accountant General and said, ‘You have no authority to make any large payments. They will now come to Cabinet before you make any payments.’ We’re putting down our foot.”
The Prime Minister said the change is part of a wider anti-corruption drive within government, especially after the vehicle procurement controversy exposed weaknesses in oversight. He added that the new process will prioritize smaller local businesses that have long struggled to get paid. “The little man that I refused to pay for years—pay them,” Browne said.
Analysts say the reform could slow routine financial operations, but Browne insists the added scrutiny is necessary to restore public trust. “We’re not here to make anyone uncomfortable,” he said. “We’re here to make sure every dollar of the people’s money is properly spent.”
The move complements other steps announced by Browne, including the rotation of key public officers and the hiring of external validation officers to conduct random audits of Customs and procurement transactions. Together, these measures form part of what he calls a “national reset” — a comprehensive effort to rebuild transparency and confidence in public administration.
