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Nothing can stop continuation of controversial projects
“…Government will persevere”- Finance Minister
By Abena Rockcliffe
Even as he rejected public opinion that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration has reduced the National
Minister of Finance,
Dr. Ashni Singh
Assembly to a mere rubber stamp; the Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh affirmed that Government will complete controversial projects despite actions taken in the House.
The joint parliamentary opposition—Alliance for Change and A Partnership for National Unity—has had qualms about several developmental projects fashioned by the government over the last few years.
The result has seen both the parties, individually and collectively, making efforts to fully scrutinize the projects and in some cases impose discontinuation or a pause until other measures are put in place.
The ongoing Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project and the Specialty Hospital project are among some of the projects that the opposition and the government aren’t seeing ‘eye to eye’ on.
Members of the opposition had said that while some of the projects would be good for Guyana, their structure and the contracts to execute them are unacceptable.
At his most recent press conference, at the National Communications Networks studio, Dr. Singh told the media that the PPP administration has every intention to finish all the projects it has started despite what the opposition says or does. He said that this is because the administration most candidly feels that it is what is best for Guyana.
“We will not let these development projects be derailed, we will persevere with them; we have no difficulties subjected them t o the ultimate degree of parliamentary scrutiny,” said the Minister.
He said that each one of the projects that is deemed controversial has substantial merit which the government “fully articulated.”
The Minister noted that abandonment of any of these projects will not be without consequences as there are legally binding contracts.
He said that in the particular cases of the Specialty Hospital and the CJIA expansion projects, the government has binding agreements with lending agencies and with a contracting firms for the provision of services.
He said therefore that abandonment will not only reflect the absence of benefits from the project but there will be legal ramifications.
The Minister told the media that it is the government’s intention to “persevere with these projects as we believe their merit is demonstrable… in each instance the values are considerable to the people of Guyana, so we intend to persevere.”
To “persevere” with these projects, the Minister has already expended sums not approved by the National Assembly.
Just recently, Dr. Singh presented financial papers reflecting that he spent $4.5B that was not approved by the national assembly and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has signaled its intention to approach the Courts over the very expenditure.
The Finance Minister hosted a press engagement this past week and in justifying the legitimacy of the $4.5B expenditure, pointed to Article 218 (3B) of the Guyana Constitution.
But Shadow Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge, appeared on the ‘Nation Watch’ television programme on Sunday last and objected to Dr Singh’s reliance on Article 218 (3B) of the Constitution to spend in excess of $4.5B.
According to Greenidge, the Minister is misconstruing the Constitution of Guyana.
He said that Article 218 (3B) is only applicable when there is no Budget (Appropriations Act) in place.
According to Greenidge, Dr Singh would have been able to justifiably expend the money and rely on that section of the Constitution prior to April, but when the House approved a Budget, that Act forbade him from making any expenditure utilizing that course of action.
The $4.5B spent by Dr Ashni Singh and documented in the Statement of Excess, which he tabled, represents just $4.5B of the $37B that was voted down by the Opposition when it considered the 2014 Budget.
Dr Singh in justifying the expenditure had chided the Opposition over the stance they have adopted, saying that a Statement of Excess is not unknown to them and that they have already voted on three such documents, approving 60 per cent of the funds covered under the documents between 2012 to present.
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