PERMANENT secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Ambassador Rocky Meade has defended the Government’s decision to preserve Hurricane Melissa cash donations for longer-term recovery, insisting the auditor general’s finding that only 1.8 per cent of the funds had been spent did not reflect the Government’s full recovery strategy.

However, after hearing the detailed explanation from Meade during Wednesday’s sitting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Chairman Julian Robinson argued that the explanation should have been communicated much earlier and clearer to prevent the public alarm and loss of confidence that followed the audit report.

The discussion emerged as the committee reviewed the auditor general’s compliance audit into governance and procurement under the Hurricane Melissa relief programme, which found that the National Disaster Fund Committee had been non-functional for more than two years.