Budget passed

Avoiding a showdown that could have triggered general elections, the National Assembly last evening passed an appropriation bill for government’s 2014 budget, after APNU and the AFC chopped $22.4 billion from the Finance Ministry’s planned capital expenditure on the last day of consideration of the estimates.

The amount cut last night accounted for the ministry’s entire capital expenditure for “Policy and Administration” and the largest single cut ever made by the parliamentary opposition, which targeted the still contentious Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project, citing concerns over $18.5 billion provided to fund the stalled project.

Amidst speculation that government might have refused to put the amended Appropriation Bill before the