The Ministry of Finance has spent more than $3 million on consultants this fiscal year.Figures provided by the Ministry in response to parliamentary questions put forward by Shadow Finance Minister Bob Richards show that between April 1, 2011 and February 22, 2012, just over $2 million was spent on 13 foreign consultants.The rest, approximately $1 million, was spent on eight local consultants.The biggest spend during the period was on AMX International, a US consultancy contracted to consult on Government’s new E1 financial information management system and review the Customs Automated Processing System.AMX was contracted at $221,400 per annum plus reimbursables such as airfare, travel, accommodation and meals.This year’s costs for AMX so far has come to $566,060.Over $280,000 has been spent on Premier Paula Cox’s economic and finance consultant Andrew Brimmer who is on a $200,000 a year fee.Among the local consultancy arrangements, PricewaterhouseCoopers was paid $287,975.12 over the period. The company was asked to “provide professional services on an ad hoc basis to Government on various Government programmes and initiatives; and provide services to lead the broad establishment of the office of Project Management and Procurement”.Cyril Whitter, who was contracted at $250,000 a year to “provide consulting services by way of ad hoc tasking, assignment and duties”, was paid $20,833 but his contract was transferred to Cabinet Office in mid-2011.Wayne DeShields, hired as a Customs Automated Processing System consultant at $75,000 a year, was paid $100,718.75.“It’s clear that they are still spending a lot of money on consultants,” said Mr Richards when asked his thoughts on the figures.“And this is only one ministry.”