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AFC not invited to 2014 budget discussions
Discussions on the country’s expenditure for next year have begun and the Alliance For Change (AFC), which has seven seats in the National Assembly, has not been included.
Cathy Hughes
This is according to party leader Khemraj Ramjattan, during a press conference last week. Ramjattan said budget discussions commenced on July 1 and neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Office of the President invited the AFC.
“Last year, after the budget debates…we did have some of what I regard as regular and well intentioned meetings with the President… He indicated that we are going to be allowed to the Budget 2014 process on July 1,” he said.
Although, the preparation of the budget is an Executive function, grouse over its consultation process is not new. In February last, Ramjattan had sounded AFC’s displeasure with the budget 2013 consultations and the party’s input into the document’s planning.
Ramjattan said that he would have, “like(d) to see our proposals and we have given him a bundle of items including the procurement commission, including the Berbice River Bridge tolls being reduced; including Public servants’ salary increases; rice—better cultivation and drainage and irrigation systems and in relation to those very poor salaries and wages”, included in this year’s budget.
According to Cathy Hughes, AFC’s Member of Parliament, next year’s Budget should cater to improving the social life of citizens. Funds should be allocated for various institutions geared towards addressing social woes, particularly victims of Trafficking in Persons.
She said if the AFC is allowed to have discussions with Government from the outset of the budget preparation, such matters could be raised and perhaps be included in the budget.
“So you would have broad interpretations. So, when they start to allocate funds for organizations, there is a different perspective on those decisions, meaning if the AFC was represented there, we would be able to say more money needs to be spent on a lot of social services,” she said.
“There are more and more children on the streets begging now that school is out. Go at any main street corner and see children selling water and begging. And, therefore, we talk about people who have lost their lives because of mentally ill people living on the road. But the psychiatric hospital, that section that burned down years ago, has never been rebuilt. These are all things we could look at.”
Speaking about another troubling issue, Trafficking In Persons, Hughes said the AFC has met with President of the Guyana Women Miners’ Organization (GWMO), Simona Broomes and the horrid topic was raised, particularly the need to “have a shelter for victims, and resources.”
“You can’t expect that Simona Broomes and a group of women or any other group or small NGOs to have a cake sale to deal with those issues. No, the money should come from the national purse. We must put aside money to deal with those issues. If we have a certain amount of money on our budget each year, is it justifiable to spend the money we are spending on the Marriott Hotel?” Hughes stated.
The construction of the Guyana Marriott branded hotel and casino is projected to cost almost US$60M. According to Hughes, that money could have been used to equip locations in the interior with proper services and provide better checks and balances to protect women in the mining community.
“Would it be there to give more jobs to young people and women in those areas…It’s not like there are not solutions; it is what we make a priority,” she added.
Hughes said she shares a good relationship with Human Services Minister, Jennifer Webster and is aware that the Minister has been speaking with the Guyana Police Force on this matter.
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