We begin our discussion of Financial Paper 1/2014 that the Minister of Finance tabled in the National Assembly two Thursdays ago. The paper deals with a request for a supplementary estimate to cover excess expenditure totalling $4.554 billion incurred during the period 1 January to 16 June 2014. This sum represents part of the amount of $36.7 billion that the Assembly had declined to approve in the first place.
News reports have indicated that the combined Opposition is unlikely to approve the supplementary estimate and has threatened to table a motion of no confidence on the Government. The Government, however, contended that it did nothing differently in 2014, compared with 2012 and 2013, and that the Assembly had approved of most of the items contained in the related supplementary estimates.
Background to Financial Paper 1/2014
Last March, the Government presented a budget for $220 billion but after the Assembly’s deliberations,