By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan says the Party will actively participate in the upcoming debates of the National 2014 Budget which will commence on Monday, March 31.
Speaking with iNews (www.inewsguyana.com) on Wednesday (March 26), Ramjattan said the AFC will not waste the opportunity to signal its disapproval or approval with aspects of the budget.
“We will partake, the AFC will be in the Committee of Supply to voice its disapproval,” the AFC Leader added.
He said the AFC Members of Parliament have perused the budget but have not yet come to a collective decision in relation to the prospects of its support.
On a more personal note, the Leader told iNews (www.ineswsguyana.com) that there isn’t a single measure that he is particularly impressed about.
“I am perturbed about a number of issues that I will make a more detailed comment on later.”
The National Budget was presented in the House on Monday, March 24 by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh to a tune of $220B.
The AFC had walked out of the budget presentation, stating that it was registering “its protest against the violation of our constitution by this government in not holding meaningful consultation on the budget, whilst it had time to do so.”
The Party further noted, “Judged from the rave and rants of his previous speeches, the AFC has no reason to believe that Minister Singh would make a sober presentation this year. High on a propaganda blitz against the Opposition, he would not resist the blame – game and the sojourn into the past, to buttress evident failures.”
The AFC also explained that the 2014 budget is overshadowed by the ruling of the Chief Justice that the National Assembly may approve or not approve the estimates of the expenditure.
