AFC will cut waste and extravagance from 2013 budget

Apr 09, 2013 News

The opposition Alliance For Change (AFC) has issued a clear warning that it will cut bad project allocations, waste and extravagance from the 2013 national budget.
AFC front bencher, Moses Nagamootoo, told the National Assembly that allocations that hurt the national interest, “like subsidies for the state-run propaganda machines that continue to lock-out the opposition and refuse to give us fair and reasonable access, should not get a cent!”
Nagamootoo said that the nation must ask itself, why should it allocate more than $350 million for presidential excursions overseas?
“Can we afford this?”
But Nagamootoo assured that his party will be guided by protocols related to cutting the budget.
He noted that last year Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, in winding up the 2012 budget debate, recognized the right of the National Assembly to cut budgetary allocations.
“He said ‘It is, indeed, the legitimate right of the Opposition to propose any change within the boundary of the Standing Orders, to any of these numbers. The PPP will always defend that right’,” Nagamootoo reminded the House.
He however pointed out that the Attorney General Anil Nandlall thought otherwise, and hauled the National Assembly before the Courts, bringing the situation to a point of “legal and political mess” with the question to be resolved in the next few days, of whether to “approve or disapprove” the estimates.
“For the AFC, there must be protocols guiding cuts. Unless forced to disapprove the entire budget, AFC would not cut allocations that are in the national interest—- wages and salaries for the non-contracted public service, and for essential services including social sector spending for education, health, housing and water,” Nagamootoo stated.
According to Nagamootoo, the minority PPP/C Government has lost its way.
“They seek their own interests even when it clashes with the national interest,” he stated.
“As I speak, my thoughts are with “Madiba” – Nelson Mandela who undertook his “Long Walk to Freedom” in South Africa for the people he served. Like the Mahatma, sacrifice is the duty of genuine patriots. Then I think about what is happening here, in this House: Those elected to serve, with bombast and in shameless manner, claim credit for attending to the sick.
“People’s illness becomes a subject for vulgar boast by an insensitive regime, eager only for applause and approval. They see every project done as an act of benevolence, and every cent spent or allocated as coming from their personal purses. They see progress in the midst of poverty, and steal gains from those who sacrificed, sweated and suffered to achieve,” Nagamootoo said.

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AFC will cut waste and extravagance from 2013 budget

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