By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – APNU+AFC Parliamentarians on Monday voted for the 2015 Budget for the Ministry of the Presidency (MOP) to be approved and funds for the agency be taken from the consolidated fund.
After a rigorous two hour question and answer session between People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Parliamentarians and Minister of State Joseph Harmon, the government with a majority in the House passed the allocations.
The Opposition PPP did not vote on any of the projects that were presented under the Ministry of the Presidency, however they also did not object. Questions fielded to Minister Harmon included concerns about procurement, hiring of contractual workers, salaries of Presidential advisors and importantly, the reason why funds were allocated to subsidized the National Communications Network (NCN) and Government Information Agency (GINA).
Harmon answered the questions in an aloof manner; deferring the concerns about NCN and GINA to the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo under whose control the State media now falls.
The Minister was also asked about the $69M allocated for security services for the Head of State, President David Granger. Notably, some $1.4B was approved for the provision of administrative services under current expenditures and $558M for capital works within the Ministry.
For Presidential Advisory, some $565M was approved by the government controlled National Assembly. Harmon provided limited answers to the National Assembly on some of the issues to which Bishop Juan Edghill shouted “transparency has gone through the window.”
Budget estimates for the several departments under the Ministry of the Presidency including the Department of Citizenship headed by Winston Felix, and the Department of Natural Resources headed by Minister Raphael Trotman were also passed in the House after some questioning. The Capital expenditures for the agency have not yet been considered.
The questioning of the budget estimates is wasting of the OPPOSITION good time, they should just leave the parliament and go, imagine asking question pertaining to a ministry and the minister for the minister is telling you he will supply you the information two days later and you have to vote for the estimates now!!!! What nonsense
they also agree that the budget is unconstitutional so why killing yourself
leave the asses alone
Why bother to ask these rulers any question? They are making a mockery of the free press while trampling on democracy with the blessings of the mighty US – UK & EU.
Excellent! Now,let’s get on with it. We have a badly damaged country to rebuild – especially the morals of so many of the people! God Bless Guyana.
This entire budget debate is just a big joke and disrespectful to the Guyanese people. The government is the one that prepared the budget and are the ones with the majority so regardless what anyone or the opposition says they are still going to approve the budget. In the past when the government was in the opposition they PPP gave in and had discussion away from the debate process and compromised – there is none of that happening now. If this is not a dictatorship then do neon please tell me otherwise that it is not. Not only was the Indo- Guyanese disrespected by being referred to as “Coolie” they are now robbed of their rights. Where are all of the activists now – if someone had referred to the Afro-Guyanese with “N” word the entire Guyana would have erupted. Be mindful I am not suggesting that anyone referred to our Afro Guyanese like that but there has to be some uniformity in disciplining what these spineless politicians do and say. Mr. Speaker shame on you for allowing this to happen and doing nothing about it . I do hope all Guyanese stand up and put a stop to any language being used to degrade anyone regardless whether the are of Indo and Afro ethnic background. In summary the budget process is a sham and at the same time insulted Indo Guyanese by referring to them as “Coolie”.