Leader of the Opposition David Granger says that while the Opposition does not want gridlock in Parliament, the prospects for the passage of the national budget look grim since one month after a commitment for budget talks was given by the Government it is yet to be honoured.
Speaking to Stabroek News on Friday, Granger said that the Opposition is yet to be invited to any meetings to discuss the budget.
Granger said that when in December 2011 he proposed to the President the formulation of a tripartite committee to look at the budget, it was intended that the Opposition would have more of a collaborative role and not just a consultative one in its genesis.
But he said that with the lack of any efforts on the Government’s part, not even a consultation meeting seems likely at this stage.
It has been one month since Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge of the APNU wrote Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh as to the date and time of the next meeting to discuss the 2012 budget between the government and the opposition.
Greenidge in his letter said that because of the limited time available to the Government for the laying of the 2012 Budget, he urged that the Government signal a date as soon as possible to convene a meeting that could facilitate a meaningful budget discussion.
At a tripartite meeting on February 3, 2012 it was decided that opposition members Greenidge and Winston Jordan, on behalf of APNU and Khemraj Ramjattan and Gerhard Ramsaroop on behalf of AFC, would meet with Minister Singh and Irfaan Ali on Budget 2012.
The budget must be presented to the House no later than March 30, 2012 and must be passed no later than April 29, 2012.
Greenidge in his letter to the Finance Minister referred to the draft minutes of the Joint Tripartite Committee which took place on Tuesday February 7, 2012 at the Office of the President, under the chairmanship of President Donald Ramotar.
“The minutes state that with regard to the budget consultation it was agreed that ‘Dr. Roger Luncheon would consult with Dr. Ashni Singh on holding a meeting this week and inform the identified representatives accordingly,‘” Greenidge said.
“I take this opportunity to also remind you of my letter dated [February 8, 2012] to you seeking a date for the meeting and suggesting an agenda. To date I have received no response although on [December 31, 2012] President Donald Ramotar assured me that he had asked you to undertake the meeting,” he said.
