‘Pet’ projects trickery used to bleed national purse - AFC

‘Pet’ projects trickery used to bleed national purse – AFC

Apr 09, 2014 News

-Finance Minister must adjust budget or face non-approval

With hours left before the National Assembly starts considerations of the 2014 National Budget estimates, the Alliance For Change (AFC) has warned that Government will be at fault for its non-approval.
In a strongly worded statement, the smaller of two Opposition factions in the House also accused the Government side of using trickery to bleed the national purse for ‘pet’ projects.
But there was also a hint that there is still a chance for negotiation.

Finance Minister,
Dr. Ashni Singh

“The Alliance For Change has appealed to the government, even at this 25th hour, to come to the negotiating table on the 2014 National Budget before the detailed examination of the estimates in the Committee of Supply begins.”
The party, which has seven of the 33 seats of the Opposition-controlled house, claimed that the Government, though fully aware that the AFC would not give its support for a few of these “pet projects and ‘rag-tag’ ventures” that serve only to enrich the PPP and its cronies, has sought to lump the allocations for these projects with projects that the party would be inclined to support. “One example of this is the allocations for NCN (National Communications Network) and GINA (Government Information Agency) being lumped with allocations for security at the Office of the President. This sort of budgeting is deceitful; it is trickery and an attempt by the government to foster bad spending by hiding it under layers of good spending.”
AFC said that the government will not be allowed to get away with such “underhand budgeting practices”.
As a matter of fact, AFC said, serious questions can be expected today in the Assembly’s Committee of Supply.
“At this stage, the Party would make strong recommendations for the Finance Minister to amend his estimates or face the likelihood of not having the estimates approved.”
It will be up to Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, to bring a budget that the House can approve.
“At this late stage he must stand guided by what transpires in the Committee of Supply. The ball is in the Minister’s court. The Alliance For Change wants to make it clear that we have no desire to deprive any person of their job or their wages, or any community of real development. Neither is it our desire to ‘shut down’ this Government.”
However, the party said, it is the duty of a responsible government to separate bonafide, legitimate and reasonable spending from the areas of ‘slush and sleaze’.
“Should the Government attempt to force on the opposition a budget riddled with ‘pet projects’ it would be to their detriment and they would have to answer to the people. While the AFC fully supports the vast majority of the allocations in the 2014 Budget, the Party would be hard pressed to support a few allocations, and it is in this context that the Party has made a last-minute appeal for dialogue.”
This 10th Parliament has been the most difficult for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) as for the first time, since assuming power in 1992, it no longer controls the National Assembly. It lost the majority by one seat in the 2011 General and Regional Elections.
The Opposition, using that one-seat majority, has made cuts to the budget of 2012 and 2013, affecting a number of large-scale projects including the Amaila Falls hydropower project, the airport expansion at Timehri, the specialty hospital at Turkeyen and subventions to NCN and GINA.
The controversial cuts went to court and earlier this year there was a ruling that the Opposition cannot make cuts but can disapprove of allocations when it is time to vote. Only the Minister of Finance has that power.
However, the ruling of Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang has left the door open for the Minister of Finance to adjust the budget and bring it back. It is believed that the Opposition may very well take this route to effect the cuts.
The issue has raised questions of the independence of Parliament and the Executive (Government). A $220B budget was presented by the Finance Minister on March 24.