The National Assembly this afternoon passed an appropriation bill to clear extra-budgetary spending from last year, without four items that were voted down by the opposition.
The Supplementary Appropriation Bill No. 1 of 2012 was passed, with the AFC abstaining from the vote when a division was called, allowing the government to carry the bill with its resulting majority. The bill, supported by financial papers had initially covered $5.7B in spending from last year.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said the provisions for four items not included would be resubmitted to the House with a ruling by Speaker Raphael Trotman.
The spending for last year’s investiture ceremony ($25.5M), mobilisation payments for the speciality hospital to be constructed at Turkeyen ($29.1M) as well as allocations for overtime pay for the General Register Office ($6.5M) and for security equipment for Office of the President ($18.4M) were flagged by APNU and AFC at the previous parliamentary session due to concerns over the lack of information about the provisions. As a result, approval of the supplementary expenditure had been delayed.
