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Sandwiches and tea rather than fried rice and rum

Aug 24, 2018 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The food bill for the National Assembly is much too high. A price tag of $700,000 per sitting is a hefty expenditure to be borne by taxpayers.
It does not matter that the food bill under the PPPC would have been higher or lower. Examined on its own, the cost of the meals should not be that high.
There are many reasons for this situation. The National Assembly is trying to rush its work by extending some of its sittings way into the night. In these instances, meals have to be provided. This comes at a cost
Parliament customarily begins its sittings at 2 pm. It traditionally used to end the sittings mostly before nightfall. It means that when the sittings begin, the members would have already had their lunch at home or in the office. Parliament used to end early enough for members to be home in time for dinner.
There is now a mad rush to get through matters quickly. The debates have become very sterile because, in some cases, there are time restrictions. Parliament should be meeting more often rather than extending the length of sittings or by cutting the time allotted to parliamentarians.
In such cases, there will be no need for any food. A few sandwiches or cookies with a glass of milk or a cup of tea or coffee served at around 4.30, is good enough. No need for food.
There has been a charge and a denial about the serving of alcohol in the lounge during some sittings. But the most disturbing aspect of this entire controversy is not whether liquor is served. It is about the food which has to be served.
One Minister has defended the food bill by pointing out that apart from the 65 parliamentarians who have to eat, meals must also be provided for the 115 staff who are required to be on stand-by during sittings.
Now this is quite extraordinary.
First of all, why is the ratio of staff to parliamentarians so high? One hundred and fifteen staff members have to be on hand to provide assistance to a mere 65 parliamentarians. There is no need for a small parliament to have such a large staff, not in this age when records can be digitized.
The National Assembly comprises 65 members. For a small country like Guyana, that is about 25 members too much. It works out to around one Member of Parliament for every six thousand votes, a ratio that is impractical. Guyana does not need more than 40 members of parliament. But we know that with the jostling for power by the two main political parties that is not going to happen.
Secondly, why should 115 staff be required to be on hand during sittings? Why so many? Can a skeleton staff not be around after normal working hours in case the members need assistance? Why 115? And to think that in the main, most of them would have nothing to do except wait until the meals are served.
Parliament has to prune its costs. This $700,000 in meals should be reduced to no more than $20,000. It cannot cost $20,000 to provide sandwiches and cookies for 65 parliamentarians.
If the members want to eat food, they can go across by the Stabroek Market where there are some tasty cook shops inside the market. If they want to consume alcohol, there is well stocked bar across the road from parliament.

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