Latest update February 15th, 2025 12:52 PM
Latest News
- Exxon given more time to respond to first two audits – Routledge
- Guyana put on Donald Trump’s list to accept African and Asian deportees
- Ukraine’s Zelenskyy calls for united US-Europe support against Russia
- Opposition agrees with TI findings on corruption in Guyana
- Man assaults ex-partner for bringing husband into shared home
Amended 2014 ‘budget’ missing
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr. Roger Luncheon, in updating the media on the 2014 National Budget process has said that the Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly is yet to reach President Donald Ramotar’s desk.
The Appropriation Bill which is a legislative motion that authorizes Government to spend money “has not arrived at the Office of the President as of the Cabinet meeting (on Tuesday). He could not say if it is with the Attorney General either.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has said that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, has designed a mechanism so that the Appropriation Bill will not be going to the Attorney General’s Chambers but from the Clerk of the National Assembly directly to the Office of the President.
Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs, has said that he is unclear whether the Bill has been sent off. However, it will definitely be done today.
Budget Woes
Speaking to the combined opposition’s non approvals of the 2014 Budget, Dr. Luncheon outlined that this year’s Appropriation Bill is more draconian than its predecessors of 2012 and 2013 since it does not provide funding for government sectors; and if it remains unchanged, no funding would be forthcoming.
Dr. Luncheon said that that the 2013 and the 2014 rulings of Chief Justice Ian Chang removed the opposition’s options to reduce funding of programmes “his rulings restricted the opposition’s option to either approving or not approving”.
He added that note must be taken of the “opposition’s stated intention to appeal the ruling of the Chief Justice and their actual filing of that appeal.” He said that the ruling will be enforceable pending the outcome of the appeal.
According to Dr. Luncheon, “It is most unfortunate that the timeframe for negotiating a compromise solution was set by the constitution and indeed was of extremely short duration. An Appropriation Bill is constitutionally due at the latest the end of the fourth month of the fiscal; that is the end of April.”
He said that it was equally unfortunate that the plans for even the time restricted negotiations that were entertained “were thwarted by opposition neglect.”
Luncheon explained that the Parliamentary Committee of Supplies on the 2014 Appropriation “for all intents and purposes reflected the majoritarian position of the opposition. The immediate result is now history. The opposition selectively did not approve funding and essentially determined the outcome of the provisions of the 2014 Appropriation Bill.”
According to Dr. Luncheon, “The 2014 Appropriation Bill makes no provision, no funding for many Government sectors and entities. The opposition option essentially resorted to that extreme and that is the non approval, zero appropriation for those programmes.”
He added that the constitutional mandate of the elected Executive Government to govern cannot be discharged without adequate financing; “We all know it pays to run governments.”
The HPS pronounced that in the absence of a negotiated solution the definitive answer lies “in the hands of the interpreters of the constitution and as you know constitutionally, the Judiciary is tasked exclusively with such interpretations.”
When asked how soon Government would be going to Court over the 2014 Budget non approvals, Dr Luncheon said that he couldn’t answer the question authoritatively.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The Opposition is engaged in self-sabotage
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- You know, I never thought I’d see the day when elections in Guyana would become something... 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
