Budget 2022 allocates $11.7B for Constitutional Agencies

Jan 29, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh recently presented a motion to the National Assembly for approval of recommended lump sum subventions for Constitutional Agencies for 2022. The subventions proposed for the 13 agencies amount to $11,729,840,000 which is charged upon the Consolidated Fund.

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh

Last year, the Minister was able to secure an amendment to the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA) to ensure the streamlining of the budget process in relation to constitutional agencies.
According to the Finance Minister, the amendment was necessary as it “streamlined the Budget process, particularly in relation to constitutional agencies, while simultaneously ensuring the preservation of the independence of the agencies.”
Arising from the 2015 amendment to the FMAA by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), constitutional agencies’ budgets were required to be sent to the National assembly in advance of the submission of the rest of the National Budget. Dr. Singh said this two-stage process resulted in a fragmented and inefficient process for consideration of the National Budget and denied the Parliament an opportunity to view and consider the budget in a comprehensive manner.
Due to the successful amendment, all sums will be considered together. The subventions proposed for the respective agencies are as follows:
1. Parliament Office – $1.8B
2. Audit Office of Guyana – $1B
3. Public and Police Service Commissions – $159M
4. Teaching Service Commission – $124M
5. Guyana Elections Commission – $$4.2B
6. Supreme Court of Judicature – $3.5B
7. Office of Public Prosecutions-$238M
8. Office of the Ombudsman – $56.9M
9. Public Service Appellate Tribunal – $68.3M
10. Ethnic Relations Commission – $171.5M
11. Judicial Service Commission – $10M
12. Rights Commission of Guyana – $130.8M
13. Public Procurement Commission -$199.8M