Former head of the public service, Reginald Dumas, says President Anthony Carmona must give the nation a satisfactory explanation about the projected $7.9 million cost of his foreign travel for 2017.
Dumas said that in the wake of revelations in Thursday’s meeting of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee meeting at Tower D, Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain.
The lengthy meeting was chaired by House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George.
It was committee member, Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat who raised the issue asking whether someone had lost his mind.
The Office of the President also projected an addition $6.4 million for “Overseas-Travel Direct Charges.”
Accounting Officer at the Office of the President Gregory Serrette led the team from Carmona’s Office at the meeting.
President Carmona was expected to travel to China and European countries during the year.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Dumas said he was taken aback when he became aware of the projected cost of travel for the President.
He said he could not understand “whey the President would want to travel to all these places , to do what, at the expense of the taxpayer.”
Dumas said one could have understood the situation “if he were an executive President and was going ion Government business, but he is a ceremonial President so I am not sure of the purpose of these projected trips.”
Dumas said : “It would be up to the His Excellency to explain to the people of T&T why he felt he should make all these trips.”
Dumas said Carmona should also explain the purpose of the trips, adding that he “certainly wants to hear from him before saying anything more.”
Dumas said he was “particularly taken aback when he saw the cost of the trips , particularly at a time when T&T is facing economic difficulties.”
He insisted that “the President ought to give the nation a good, full, proper and acceptable explanation of his (travel) requests.”