Dharamlall dismisses query into $500M emergency security charges

Dec 18, 2021 News

– tells Deputy Speaker question “out of order”

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development on Thursday approached the National Assembly to seek over $500 million more towards the payment of security charges, but when a member of the Opposition questioned the amount, he was told by the subject Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, that he is “out of order”.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall

The question raised by Opposition Member and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Lennox Shuman, was in relation to why the Government is requesting these exorbitant sums from the Contingency Fund to pay for security, if the crime rate is down as was reported by the Minister of Home Affairs.
“If crime has dropped by 20 percent, why are we spending so much on security? I sat in this very Chamber three days ago when the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs complimented the administration’s handling of crime in Guyana, and said that crime is at 20 percent decrease in this country. I wanted to ask the Honourable Minister of Local Government and Regional Development if your Cabinet colleague is saying that crime is on the decrease and it has dropped by over 20 percent, why are we expending so much more money for security at this juncture,” Shuman pressed.
But in response, the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall answered that “you are out of order to ask me that question”. According to Dharamlall, “Mr. Shuman is asking me a question about a statement of the Minister of Home Affairs. I believe Mr. Shuman is out of order to ask me a question that the Minister of Home Affairs pronounced on”.
Shuman was not too pleased with the minister’s response and in fact said that he was shocked at his failure to defend the request for the additional sums.
After being further grilled, the Local Government Minister explained, that due to the fact that Government institutions have come under threat by the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) members, the Government decided to beef up security.
The sum of more than $500 million was spread across the various administrative regions. While some of the regions did not hire more security officers, the question was also asked why more monies are being allocated to these services, when there has been no formal announcement of a wage increase to the workers.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Lennox Shuman

There has been no formal announcement of an increase to security guards since 2018 when the APNU/AFC raised the hourly rate from $300 to $377.
Another Opposition member, Ronald Cox cited Article 220 (1) which states that “Parliament may make provision for the establishment of a Contingencies Fund and for authorising the Minister responsible for Finance to make advances from that Fund if he or she is satisfied that there is an urgent need for expenditure for which no other provision exists.”
Further, the Financial Management and Accountability Act section 41 states clearly that the Minister must be satisfied that all matters that are dealt with under this section are urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen, therefore justifying the need for the expenditure.
In this regard, Cox asked Dharamlall to explain the urgency and unforeseen nature of the security charges in excess of $500 million. But this request was also shot down by the Local Government Minister who argued, “You have no right to ask our Government, which has always stood by the Constitution, and to impugn that our party and government do not respect the Constitution”.
Cox, however, held out that as a representative of the people of Guyana, he has every right to ask questions.
As a consequence, the Minister explained that upon taking office as Government, members were greeted with missing files, among others things, which prompted the need for increased security. He said that this resulted in more officers being hired, hence, justifying the additional sums required.

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