NTI underfunds Qikiqtani Inuit, QIA executive says

Scott Wells, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association’s director of finance, left, and Joe Attagutaluk, QIA’s secretary treasurer, deliver their financial reports to QIA board members and members of the public Oct. 4 at the Inuit organization’s annual general meeting in Iqaluit. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. has consistently underfunded Baffin region beneficiaries compared with beneficiaries in Nunavut’s other two regions.

That’s according to the Qikiqtani Inuit Association’s secretary treasurer, Joe Attagutaluk, who presented his annual report to the board of directors in Iqaluit Oct. 4.

NTI provides annual funding to all three of Nunavut’s regional Inuit associations.

“The Qikiqtani region has half of the 26 communities in the territory [and] 52 per cent of [all] beneficiaries in Nunavut… yet QIA funding is only 40 per cent,” Attagutaluk said.

Instead, NTI should provide funding to the three regional organizations on a per-capita basis, which would mean about $800,000 more per year for Baffin region beneficiaries, Attagutaluk said.

“Why are we underfunded?”

Attagutaluk made his comments during the QIA’s annual general meeting, being held at Iqaluit’s Anglican Parish Hall from Oct. 4 to Oct. 6.

The secretary treasurer provided a breakdown of NTI’s contributions to the QIA for five random years between 2000 and 2015.

According to Attagutaluk’s figures, NTI has consistently provided QIA with 40 to 42 per cent of NTI’s overall contribution to regional Inuit associations over the past 15 years.

“Maybe NTI isn’t looking at the populations of the three regions when it comes to funding,” a board member said.

In his presentation, Attagutaluk also summarized the NTI finance committee meeting that took place in Rankin Inlet in July.

Attagutaluk said about $53.3 million was available in 2015-16 from the Nunavut Trust, which is run by arms-length board.

That’s about $12 million less than the previous year, but $5 million more than 2013-14, he said.

Advances from the trust to NTI and RIAs has remained consistently around $42 million over the past three years, Attagutaluk said.

The secretary treasurer also said he hoped the proposed legacy fund policy introduced by QIA’s president PJ Akeeagok Oct. 4 would be in place for the start of the 2017-18 fiscal year.

QIA Secretary-Treasurer's Report to October 2016 AGM by NunatsiaqNews on Scribd