He got up, buttoned his jacket and Dr Ashni Singh was set to read the ‘largest’ ever budget – $208.8B – but not before a mini lecture to his colleagues on the opposition benches who he upbraided for their “unproductive, and oftentimes counterproductive pursuits” in the National Assembly.
Unusually for a Finance Minister on Budget Day, Dr Singh arrived past the 2 pm expected start time and purposefully strode into Parliament Chambers, took his seat and waited patiently for Speaker Raphael Trotman to declare the sitting open. After a few preliminaries he was called upon to read his budget speech, which was called a “people’s” budget by his very animated colleague Irfaan Ali even before the Finance Minister had uttered a word
It was obvious that the minister was still feeling the sting of the $20 billion gouged from his budget last year by the opposition (it is unclear why as the government got around the cuts following a High Court ruling by acting Chief Justice Ian Chang) and Singh just had to let them know.
“The past fourteen months have rendered a veritable plethora of examples of parliamentary action, occasioned at the behest of the opposition’s one-seat majority, that consumed valuable legislative time and effort in futile, unproductive, and oftentimes counterproductive pursuits,” the minister said after detailing what he had hoped would have happened last year.
He continued: “Whether it be attempts to cut essential budgetary allocations or deny an elected member the right to speak, the moving of motions or passing of bills that defy reason and collide with our Constitution or, perhaps ultimately, attempts to amend the very Constitution by the slendermost of simple majorities with no attempt at consultation much less consensus, the courts of law and the courts of public opinion have both been condign in their judgement.”
The minister also used what could only be referred to as the government’s favourite word in the Tenth Parliament ‘vindicate’.
Asked about this approach by the minister after the 3 hrs and eight minutes of the budget narration, Opposition Leader David Granger dismissed Dr Singh’s attempt to upbraid and likened it to “politicking”.
“I think that is just politicking… I think he came out swinging but afterwards he modified his tone,” Granger, who gave the impression of paying keen attention to Singh throughout the speech, said adding that he was not disappointed in the tone but in the “content of the budget itself” which contained no “real poverty alleviation.”
And as the minister delivered his ‘lecture’ many of his government colleagues smiled and nodded their heads in agreement with Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran shifting in his seat and looking at his colleague with an expression one could only deem as admiration. The minister’s digression might have taken his opposition colleagues by surprise initially but some later found their voices and called on him to “start the budget.”
And so he did.
And as he read page after page it was interesting to observe the posture of his colleagues in the House. Granger for one turned in his seat and with folded hands most of the time never took his eyes off the minister (well so it seemed). His colleague Dr Rupert Roopnaraine sitting next to him presented a picture of the intellectual observer. With the fingers of one of his hands resting just below his nose he appeared in a contemplative mode throughout as he keenly watched Dr Singh.
And while for the most part the opposition members remained silent-APNU’s most vociferous heckler Deborah Backer was not heard from throughout-Singh’s colleagues were not just happy with thumping the table in happy agreement with everything the minister announced but often time shouted across to their opposition colleagues; making finer points of what was said.
Housing and Water Minister Ali was ‘chief cook and bottle washer’ in that regard and he singled out former PNC finance minister and now APNU’s point person on financial issues Carl Greenidge for most of his cross talk frequently admonishing “You hear, Carl?”
Ali’s palms must have burned hours after the budget reading ended as he thumped the desk the loudest and most frequently. He became more excited when the minister announced the various measures and even caused the Finance Minister to have to repeat himself a few times because the desk thumping and cheering drowned out the budget speech. He seemed to have enjoyed immensely Dr Singh’s declaration that the under-construction Marriott Hotel will be Guyana’s “only international branded hotel.”
At one point Speaker Trotman had to intervene and point out the obvious: that Dr Singh was being interrupted but unlike other sittings it was the government side interrupting a government speaker. There was some cross talking between AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan and Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn, another loud desk thumper along with Dr Ramsaran, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud.
Ramjattan did have a word or two for Dr Singh, who, when announcing plans for the Amerindian communities, said, “…every single Guyanese must have equal opportunity” a comment to which the AFC leader thumped his desk before the riposte “radio licence too”.
Very quiet (very unusual) was Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira who was the most brightly dressed parliamentarian at yesterday’s sitting (was it a pink skirt suit?) and observed Dr Singh with the visage of a proud teacher whose student had excelled.
PPP/C’s parliamentarian Komal Chand was also very quiet yesterday (he has been quiet in this Tenth Parliament) but he seemed uncomfortable when the minister spoke about the need for better relations between GuySuCo and the unions. Chand is the President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union, which represents most of the sugar workers.
And one got the impression that Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy took a power nap when he slinked down in his chair, rested his head on the chair back and closed his eyes but to be fair to him he perked up immediately when the minister focused on the agriculture sector. He then chatted with Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee (the opposition failed in their attempts to gag this man) who prior to this kept his head down and took notes.
APNU’s Joan Bavaghems used the time to write up some receipts – with revenue stamps and all. Her colleague Ronald Bulkan took copious notes throughout the speech and if asked must have a lot to say on the budget. Many of the opposition members were quiet at yesterday’s sitting but APNU’s chief whip Amna Ally did have a few comments one of which was that pensioners should have had their pension increased to $15,000 instead of the $12,500. And three hours and eight minutes later, Dr Singh completed his seventh budget speech but not before a very aged man sitting in the public gallery called time on it and hobbled out.
