The government is seeking to have the National Assembly approve over $4.6 billion in supplementary provisions for current and capital expenditure including $50 million for the climate change office and the low carbon development strategy
At Thursday’s Parliamentary sitting, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh tabled Financial Papers No.3 /2009 and No. 4/2009 and asked that they be debated at the next sitting of the National Assembly, which is slated for December 10. The Finance Minister is asking the House to approve the spending of $4,677,208,405.
Leader of the Alliance For Change, Raphael Trotman, when asked about the financial papers at a press conference yesterday said that his financial experts are currently examining the papers and he pledged to raise the relevant questions at next week’s parliamentary sitting. Trotman opined that “kleptomania is running rampant right now” in the country.
He further said that instead of the Auditor General’s Office conducting a Value-for-Money audit at the Palms Geriatric Home, it may be better served doing such audits at entities such as the Public Works Ministry, GuySuCo and other government entities.
Meanwhile, the Financial Paper No.3/2009, which was tabled by the Finance Minister, covers current and capital estimates from August 25, 2009 to December 31, 2009 and amounts to $2,240,280,499. Current estimates total $ 929, 474,000 and Capital estimates $1, 310, 806,499.
For current estimates, the Finance Minister is asking for an additional $450,000,000 to be granted to the agricultural sector. $10 million is to go towards supporting hinterland communities affected by El Nino. This is in addition to the previous provision of $10,500,000. The additional finances are to go to provide assistance to the rice industry which is affected by global economic developments (Guyana Rice Development Board – $400 million), and towards helping the hinterland farming communities affected by El Nino through assistance from the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and the Guyana Marketing Corporation(GMC). Twenty-five million and Fifteen million are proposed to be dedicated to NARI and the GMC respectively for this purpose. Previously the sector was granted in excess of $566 million for this purpose.
An additional $408,874,000 is being sought for expenses connected with the Headquarters of the Guyana Defence Force. Of this sum $273,874,000 is described as “other” to meet expenditure for joint operations and $135 million for fuel and lubricants. The initial provision for fuel and lubricants was $326,295,000. For the category “Other”, initial provisions amount to $350 million and an additional provision of $115 million was sought.
Meanwhile, an additional $50 million is being requested to meet expenditure in relation to the Office of Climate Change and the Low-Carbon Development Strategy. The initial provision was $13,600,000.
A further $20,600,000 has been sought to meet “additional expenditure for the provision of meals for students at Paramakatoi and Mahdia Dormitories” in Region 8.
For Capital estimates, approximately $1.2 billion is being requested for the Ministry of Public Works roads programme. The sum is in addition to the $670 million, which was the original provision and the $175 million which was sought afterwards as supplementary provisions.
Additionally, $22 million is being sought for the extension of a security fence at Camp Groomes. The voted provision was $28 million.
A provision for the purchase of hardware for a computer server for the Guyana Elections Commission amounted to $7,606,499. Previously $20 million had been dedicated for this purpose.
All these funds being requested for current and capital expenditure by the Minister in this financial paper were advanced from the Contingencies Fund for the period August 25 to December 31, 2009.
In Financial Paper No. 4/2009, Dr Singh is requesting $ 2,436,927,906 for Capital Estimates for the period ending 31st December, 2009, with $987,957,077 for specific supplementary provisions and $1,448,970,829 local supplementary provisions.
A further $1.4 billion is being sought as provisions for the construction of the GuySuCo sugar packaging plant at Enmore. Initially the voted provision was to the tune of $1.8 billion and a further $473 million was subsequently sought as supplementary provisions. Provision for this project is done through the Finance Ministry.
Another $208,185,000 is being requested for additional inflows by the Ministry of Finance for the Millennium Challenge Threshold Programme. The voted provision was more than $ 1.1 billion.
Additionally, $800 million is being requested by the Finance Ministry for the Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP) for the completion of project activities. The voted provision is $554, 800,000.
The Local Government Ministry is requesting $96,954,919 to cater for the additional inflows for the Solid Waste Disposal Programme. This sum is in addition to the original provision of $651,500,000.
Almost $150,000,000 is being sought by the Public Works Ministry for the extension of the runway and the purchasing of the equipment at the Ogle Aerodrome. No voted provisions were previously made for these initiatives. A further $257,539, 493 has been requested by the same ministry for additional inflows into Sea Defences. Original provisions were $750 million and another $250 million.
The Education Ministry is requesting additional sums in excess of $68 million for its Education for All Fast Track Initiative- EFA- FTI. The voted provision was $600 million.
Meanwhile the Housing Ministry has requested more than $36 million for consultancy services for its Com-munity Roads Improvement Programme. The original provision was $200 million. A further $93,303,000 is being sought by the Ministry for the Georgetown Remedial and Sewerage Project Phase II in addition to the initial provision of $ 711, 435,000. And for the Low Income Settlement Programme II, the Housing Ministry, a further sum of $116, 500,000 is being requested to augment the $100 million which was already approved by the National Assembly.
In August, the National Assembly passed a $2.7 billion supplementary appropriation bill.
On that occasion Financial Paper 1/2009 covered current and capital estimates totalling $247,406,429 for the period July 16, 2009 to December 31, 2009, while Financial Paper 2/2009 covered current and capital estimates totaling $2,533,085,355 for the period ending December 31, 2009.
