Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
Amended Budget 2014 is a victory of sorts for the Opposition
– Chris Ram
The mixture of surprise and relief when Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, announced in the National Assembly that he would be amending the 2014 Appropriation Bill to reflect the non-approval by the Committee of Supply of several items in the 2014 National Budget has given way to skepticism, suspicion and speculation.
According to Chartered Accountant Chris Ram, of the six programmes not approved, two are under the Office of the President.
Ram said that for all the surprises at the various estimates that were approved and not approved, perhaps the biggest surprise of all was that Dr. Singh did not hesitate to give the National Assembly the undertaking that he would present an amended Appropriations Bill to reflect the decisions by the Committee of Supply.
Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram
“It is asking a lot of President Ramotar to assent to a Bill that strips his Office, of $5.1B of the $6B sought in the 2014 Estimates, effectively crippling the Presidency,” Ram said.
Ram went on to state that it would be easy to regard the amended Budget 2014 as a done deal and therefore a victory of sorts for the opposition.
He said that after taking out the amounts not approved, the budget deficit almost disappears.
“That would be too good to be true.”
Ram noted that when the Finance Minister made his announcement that he would present an amended Appropriation Bill to exclude all the not approved amounts, he must be presumed to have consulted with the President and his Cabinet colleagues, including the Attorney General.
Further he said that most persons expect a response from the Government even if the amended 2014 Appropriation Bill is approved by the President.
“At best, we will have the first Supplementary Appropriation Bill for 2014 to restore the non-controversial items, which were the victims of collateral damage.”
According to Ram, 2012 served as a guide and he believes that the Minister of Finance will simply release the funds that have been removed by the Opposition and accepted by the Government in the amended Appropriation Act.
Still others expect the Attorney General to return to court with the argument that the Presidency is a constitutional office subject to a direct charge on the Consolidated Fund, and therefore immune from approval or non-approval.
There is merit in that argument and some money will have to be restored to allow the Office to function effectively.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Land, taxes and penalties
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-The American humorist Will Rogers once remarked that the best investment on earth is earth... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
