The government will face scrutiny over a possible breach of the Fiscal Manage-ment and Accountability Act (FMAA) as Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh prepares to seek parliamentary approval for $5.6 billion in supplementary budget funds to cover spending that took place towards the end of last year.
The money has been spent from the Contingencies Fund, for which the Finance Minister is solely responsible and Singh is seeking the approval of the National Assembly to replenish it by way of two financial papers. Financial Paper No 7/2011 makes a request for supplementary provisions amounting to $2.241 billion, while Financial Paper No 8/2011 is for $3.471billion. The papers appear on the Order Paper for the ceremonial opening of the Parliament on Friday, when President Donald Ramotar will make his inaugural address to the House.
But according to a well-placed source, the funds exceed by nearly $3 billion the amount allowed as the limit from the
