The Ministry of Finance has insisted that any use of the government’s Environmental Protection Fund is valid and lawful.
It issued a statement on Thursday, 21 Dec., following a meeting of the Finance Committee which detailed how cash from the pot will spent over the next two years.
Members approved about $6.5 million for each of 2024 and 2025 to cover the operational costs of the Department of Environment.
However, this contradicts the National Conservation Law, 2013, which defines the fund as being specifically for buying and managing protected land.
The ministry, in its statement, maintained “there isn’t any raid” on the fund, which as of 31 Oct., had a balance of $51.3 million.
It explained that each year the balance is enhanced by $5 to $6 million from sources such as departure taxes from cruise ship and air travel visitors.
It is this money that will pay for most of the environment department’s operational costs, the ministry continued.
However, the ministry did not account for the additional $0.5-1.5 million needed to make up the $6.5 million.
Relevant legislation
The Environmental Protection Fund was set up in 1997 to pay for ‘protecting and preserving’ the environment.
The law later refined the purposes of the fund as for the “acquisition and management of protected areas”.
National Conservation Council guidance notes indicate the cash can also be used for the protection of endangered species.
However, the relevant sections of the law which put the power to decide on disbursements in the hands of the conservation council were never enacted.
That responsibility still lies with parliament, through its Finance Committee.
The finance ministry 20 Dec. statement said, “Government cannot use monies in the Environmental Protection Fund without explicit authorisation by the Parliament’s Finance Committee.”
It added that “this was adhered to during the recent 2024 – 2025 Budget approval process”.
During its meeting on 13 Dec., the Finance Committee also agreed to two other allocations from the Environmental Protection Fund.
A maximum of $1.4 million will be awarded in 2024 to continue the remediation of the George Town landfill.
The aim is to “make it safer and less likely for waste to seep into the North Sound and the Islands’ ground-water lens”, the statement said.
Another $10 million will be spent on beach property and other land for conservation.
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Just another day of “short term gain for long term pain”. One of these days we will understand. Hopefully it will not be too late by then.