Labour Leader questions integrity of USP academic

[29 Sept 2008, 1600]

Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry has questioned the integrity and independence of USP academic Biman Prasad for deliberately misleading the nation with distorted figures.

Dr. Prasad launched a vicious attack on the policies of Mahendra Chaudhry as Finance Minister, claiming that he had released only $15 million of $162 million marked for capital expenditure in 2008, in an address Prasad gave to trade unionists on Saturday.

“The figures quoted by Biman Prasad refer to government’s cash flow for the first quarter of 2008, and have absolutely no relevance to actual funds released by the Finance Ministry for capital expenditure,”  Mr Chaudhry said. 

In fact, Government spent a total of $134 million on upgrading and improvements to public infrastructure in the first six months of 2008 - an increase of 11% on previous expenditure.

“One expects a person of Dr. Prasad’s academic standing to be absolutely sure of his facts before making public statements, and not mislead the public with distorted figures.

“It is obvious that Dr. Prasad who has close links to the NFP, is using his position at USP to launch a devious and dishonest political campaign against me. I hope the authorities at USP take note of the disrepute he is bringing to the institution,” Mr Chaudhry said.

“If Dr. Prasad were an honest academic he would give credit to the policies and measures adopted by the Finance Ministry in the past 18 months, which have stabilised State finances and set the nation back on the path to economic recovery,” Mr. Chaudhry said.