Deputy Speaker and opposition member Lenox Shuman on Friday evening endorsed the proposed 2021 national budget even as he sounded the call for the opposition to operate with integrity and hold the government accountable.
During his presentation yesterday during the continuing budget debate at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, the opposition parliamentarian called on other opposition members to up their game and conduct themselves with integrity.
“The PAC, Public Accounts Committee, now becomes the focal point of accountability and we must conduct ourselves with integrity if we are to be taken seriously. They are the government and we are the opposition and as the opposition if we do not want our slip to show we cannot slip” he said.
Shuman told the House while speaking on the PAC that he had asked former minister and now opposition member David Patterson to resign from the committee and give the spot to a member of the House who will have the kind of integrity to keep the government accountable and ensure that they deliver on what was committed to.
Patterson has been facing calls for his resignation from the Committee due to recent controversy over some of the high-priced gifts he received while he served as a minister. He has maintained that he did nothing wrong.
Meanwhile, Shuman stated that he would give the budget a “B-” grade as he argued that “it does for Guyana what is needed”.
Further, he noted that he believes that the budget is not perfect but he agrees with the Finance Minister on the theme of the budget, which he mentioned is to repair damage, stabilise the country’s finances and to work towards a more progressive Guyana.
On this note, Shuman pointed out that the 2021 budget has earmarked some $630 million for the revival of the Amerindian land titling programme, which he noted is better than what was done under the APNU+AFC’s tenure. “The entire Annai was gazetted as an NDC, thus revoking the land titles of the indigenous peoples of that area, a clear violation of a multitude of international laws,” he said while speaking of the former government’s tenure.
Shuman added that while the $1.6 billion allocated for the upgrading of hinterland roads is not the most ideal, it, too, is superior to what was previously budgeted. He even expressed that his home community with this year’s budget is expected to benefit from a grid upgrade and expansion.
“I cannot disagree with progress but I urge my colleagues to let’s be clear sighted in our obligation to hold the government accountable” Shuman remarked.
Against that background, he mentioned some shortcomings that should be corrected in the budget, as he noted that the Toshaos are in need of a raise of stipend even as the National Toshaos Council is in need of funding which is equal to the tasks it performs. Shuman was a Vice Chairman of the Toshaos Council.
He told the house that he does not need to defend the budget as it defends itself. “The ADF [Amerindian Development Fund] is replenished to the tune of 1.5 billion dollars. How I can be against anything that stands to benefit the most marginalized population of this country”” he said. Shuman went on to say that while this is the government’s first full year budget, he hopes to see the realisation of the President’s One Guyana vision with the money that was allotted to the Prime Minister’s office to drive the vision. “I see this as a starting point to addressing equity not only for indigenous peoples but for all Guyana” he said.
