Dismissing Dr. Hubert Minnis’ accusations concerning the whereabouts of the Value Added Tax (VAT) money, Prime Minster and Minister of Finance Perry Christie said the Free National Movement (FNM) leader “has no clue” with regards to governing a country.

Speaking with reporters after a Cyber Week event at the Palmdale Primary School recently, Mr. Christie told reporters there is no need for him to feel vindicated, and that Dr. Minnis should be careful how he draws conclusions.

“What I should say to the public is that I note that the Member of Parliament for Killarney, who is no longer the leader of the opposition, has indicated that the figures are unbelievable.

“I would simply want to say for the record, the figures, the accounting was done in accordance with the requirements of the constitution, the Financial Administration Audit Act, and they were prepared by the same civil servants, public officers who would advise him if by chance he becomes the next prime minister of The Bahamas.

“When he speaks to the work of public servants, he should not try to denigrate them by being careless and irresponsible about conclusions he is drawing by trying to suggest that they are my figures; they’re not my figures.

“He would be amazed to know the public figures who are involved in compilation of those figures and the conclusions drawn.

“Moreover those figures are submitted to the International Monetary Fund, and all of the rating agencies.

“So I am not sure what they would be thinking of someone who is representing themselves as having the capacity to be the next Prime Minister of The Bahamas and seems not to have a clue about governance in this country and how the Ministry of Finance functions and how these things are arrived at,” Mr. Christie said.

Mr. Christie’s comment came as a result of Dr. Minnis’ FNM candidate launch at Arawak Cay, where he [Minnis] referred to Mr. Christie as being “delusional if he believes that anyone is buying his story about the VAT money.”

Mr. Christie further noted that all his efforts in his report in Parliament on Wednesday were to let Bahamians know that the VAT money was not spent frivolously.

“It’s a question of recognizing that the people have a right to know and I have now met that condition and all I’ve tried to do is to answer the question of where the money went and to show, in fact, the tremendous concessions we give,” Mr. Christie indicated.

VAT collected by the government since implemented, according to Mr. Christie, is $1.14 billion in 2015 and 2016.