Government and opposition representatives met on Thursday at the Ministry of Finance to further discuss national economic issues as part of the ongoing but strained tripartite talks.
However, an attempt at holding a meeting to address opposition concerns on the National Budget fell flat, and instead of a budget meeting, there was a meeting about the status of the budget meeting.
Carl Greenidge, APNU’s Shadow Finance Minister, remains unsatisfied with the progress and said Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh is deviating from an arrangement that had been agreed upon.
Greenidge indicated that the talks have degenerated into the minister asking him to submit any information that was thought necessary to him.
Greenidge had on at least two occasions written to the minister asking for certain information and suggesting a draft agenda for the proper talks on the budget. He has not been responded to on these issues.
Greenidge now considers any further engagement on the budget null and void. He said that as far as he is concerned the opposition will have to get its input in during the debates and subsequent examination of the estimates.
During the engagement on Thursday, Singh reportedly asked the opposition for their submission of details regarding their priority areas for budget.
Speaking to Stabroek News, AFC’s Gerhard Ramsaroop said his party was most concerned with the reform of financial institutions, development of hinterland communities, housing for the most vulnerable and the LCDS.
Ramsaroop said the minister wanted to hear their specific concerns and shared with them government’s plans in those same areas. He said that it was agreed in the meeting that after the budget would have been presented, government and opposition will still have engagements on the areas identified.
He said the AFC will study the information the minister has provided with a view to making recommendations on them.
It remains unclear whether there is time for any further meetings prior to the presentation of the budget due by the end of the month.
