Following a lengthy debate, the National Assembly on Thursday passed an amendment to the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA) which removes the requirement that budgets for constitutional agencies be submitted directly to the National Assembly and be reflected as lump sum subventions in the National Estimates.
While the Opposition APNU+AFC argued that the amendment subjects constitutional agencies to executive control in violation of constitutional provisions for independence, the PPP/C government maintained that it actually brings the legislation in compliance with the constitution and particularly Articles 171 and 222A.
Thursday’s amendments nullify changes that had been introduced by the former APNU+AFC Government in 2015.
