By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh said he was particularly shocked and disappointed by “the most reckless display of parliamentary responsibility.”
The Minister was at the time responding to the objections by the combined opposition to the $910M funding for the specialty hospital and the $1B Amerindian Development Fund.
Dr. Singh contended that the Opposition’s move was rooted in political motivation.
He said the consequences, if these proposals are realized, are extremely grave and cannot be treated lightly.
The Finance Minister said, “Personally I feel the strongest personal conviction because all allocations in the budget have tremendous merit and will benefit all people.”
Dr Singh said he is unaware if the Opposition considered the gravity of their actions and expressed the hope that they will reconsider before inflicting similar treatment to other projects or agencies.
“In a very serious manner these disapprovals can harm service delivery and ultimately the quality of life.”
Opposition members had pressed for greater transparency and accountability in the award of the contract for the specialty hospital and its construction.
Amerindian Opposition Members of Parliament said that it was the failure of the government to answer questions surrounding the controversial $1B fund that forced them to exercise their democratic right in the Committee of Supply.
In this regard, the Finance Minister said the government is always willing to have dialogue. He said chastised the Opposition for not informing the government in advance of their concerns.
“It is extremely difficult to indicate your interest to compromise when you can’t say what you are compromising on,” Dr. Singh told reporters.
The Finance Minister expressed the hope that better sense will prevail as the National Assembly continues to consider the budget estimates.
