After hours of deliberations, the National Assembly late Monday evening approved over $2 billion in extra budgetary funds to meet a variety of needs including sums for a University of Guyana Medical School re-accreditation site visit, an out-of-court settlement for works done at the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill and salaries for the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU).
Minister of Finance Winston Jordan had tabled Financial Paper No 2/2016 totalling $2,089,699,085 to cover funds spent during the period 2016-01-01 and 2016-12-31. Government faced intense questioning from the opposition.
According to the financial paper, $109,683,000 is being sought for an education subvention and grants for the University of Guyana. Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, indicated that the university made a request for a supplemental for the re-accreditation of the School of Medicine. A team is expected here in November for a site visit.
On the list was the Ministry of Public Telecommunications which sought a supplementary provision of just over $320 million. Of that sum, $22.3 million was needed to cater for the payment of three ministerial advisors.
Asked by opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira to provide the names of the ministerial advisors and consultant and to indicate when they began working, subject minister Cathy Hughes identified them as Lance Hinds, Enrico Woolford and attorney Gita Raghubir.
Hinds has experience in licensing policy and communication while Woolford’s expertise lies in frequency management and licensing.
She said that the first two began their work in June and the other the following month.
Minister Hughes later explained that the consultant/negotiator is yet to be hired. That individual she said will be negotiating the terms and conditions of the agreement with GTT. Two administrative staff are also yet to be hired, she said. Later she said that the trio’s salary is $530,000 monthly and they would all enjoy the “regular list” of benefits.
Asked to clarify whether Woolford who was thought to be her adviser now has a new designation, Hughes told the House “all three of them are ministerial advisors.”
Meanwhile the House was told that the Ministry of Communities needed $501 million, which included the $177,050,000 settlement agreement with the operator of the Haags Bosch landfill site. Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan said that the operator BK International was to be paid in three parts.
With regard to SOCU, $20.3 million has been approved.
This provision is for additional resources to pay staff-related and operational expenses. Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, responding to questions from the opposition benches said SOCU is now fully under the Guyana Police Force. He said the protocols governing the unit’s operation will be released to the public within a week.
