…as Parliament approves $2.4B in supplementary spending
$2.4B in supplementary funds for various projects this year, including a provision of $124M for street lighting in Berbice was passed by the National Assembly yesterday.
The Supplementary Ap-propriation (No.1 for 2010) Bill covers Financial Papers No.1 and No.2 of 2010 which were tabled by Finance Minister; Dr. Ashni Singh during last week Thursday’s sitting. Financial paper No.1 covers money for June 1 to December 31 and amounts to $155 278 916.
Financial Paper No.2 proposed that an additional $2 271 191 161 be approved for current and capital estimates for the period ended December 31, 2010.
Members of the Opposition raised questions on some of the provisions. Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud was grilled by PNCR Shadow Finance Minister, Winston Murray who raised the issue of transparency prompting Persaud to respond that his Ministry has been “ultra transparent” where the undertaking of its works and financing of same is concerned. According to Persaud, there is no requirement for capital profiles to be brought to the House and “we are exceeding the legal requirements”.
Grilling Persaud on the $13.2M earmarked for the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) for the land utilization exercise, promoting agricultural production, Murray, who called for additional project profiles to be added to the estimates of the public sector, queried whether it was “unorthodox” for the New GMC to play a role in the land utilization exercise.
He questioned why the unit has this role, a move which he described as “taking the functions of the GMC way beyond its propagation”.
In response, Persaud said that as part of a land utilization exercise, the New GMC has been tasked with undertaking works which includes the clearing of backlands along the East Coast Demerara as part of the Ministry’s Grow More Food Campaign.
He said that the GMC is the lead agency for the Grow More Food Campaign. The minister said that there have been recommendations by groups of farmers for lands along the ECD to be cleared in order for production to materialize.
Murray in questioning why the role was cast upon the GMC pointed out that there is a Crops and Livestock Division in the Agriculture Ministry. Persaud reiterated that the unit is the lead agency in the Grow More Food campaign and as it relates to the allocation of funds, said that the New GMC has utilized its resources to undertake works which have already started and the allocations sought yesterday was for reimbursements to be made to the organization.
Another issue which came up for debate was the allocation of $17.3M for the financing of additional works at the Intelligence Service Unit, located at Castellani House. Murray questioned whether the works in question were not foreseen as according to him, there was no provision in this year’s National Budget for the project.
In response, Minister within the Finance Ministry, Jennifer Webster said that in 2009, the National Assembly had approved financing for the building itself and the sums being sought, represents funds for the execution of additional works to the premises such as lighting and plumbing.
Meantime, Murray questioned whether projects were “deliberately withheld” at the time estimates for the financial year are debated earlier in the year.
The government comes with one set of project profiles and later in the year additional financing is sought for additional works for the various sectors, he observed.
Meanwhile, the National Stadium at Providence is expected to benefit from a $184M upgrade and maintenance over the next few months.
Sports Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, in response to queries from the Opposition said that the sums sought are expected to be utilized for the carrying out of maintenance works to the facility as well as for provisions for the paving of the tarmac outside the stadium. The stadium was completed in 2007.
The Sports Minister, in response to the Opposition on the specifics of the sum, stated that $80M will go towards repairs to the gutters within the sport facility as well as the sandblasting of the steel structures to erase rusting issues associated with such facilities.
The additional sum of $104M will be utilized to pave the 25 000 square meters of land outside the stadium where shows and other events are normally held. A permanent stage will also be placed on the area in question, he said.
