Parliament approves $11.2b for constitutional agencies

The newly convened National Assembly yesterday approved in excess of $11.2 billion as budgetary allocations for 16 constitutional agencies.

The monies were approved during the first sitting of the 12th Parliament of Guyana held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

In the absence of the opposition APNU+AFC which had walked out in protest at the election of the Deputy Speaker, the Current and Capital estimates for these agencies were considered and passed without challenge. Notably the requested sums were also approved without amendment, as was the case during the last administration.

“We have approved them without any amendment. I therefore ask that this assembly agree that the sum of $10,652,578,000 current expenditure and the sum of $633,229,000 giving us a total $11,285,807,000 representing current and capital expenditure for the constitutional agencies form part of the estimates,” Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill told the Assembly after the minutes long consideration in the Committee of Supply.

Edghill who previously held the post of Junior Minister of Finance presented the estimates for consideration. The Finance portfolio remains with President Irfaan Ali as no Minister has been appointed.

Since 2016 the lump sum allocation for these agencies has been considered and passed separately from the regular budget in keeping with a 2015 amendment to the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA) which granted these agencies financial autonomy. The House during the years 2016 to 2018 examined only the lump sum requested by the agencies and Finance Minister Winston Jordan’s recommendation.

The FMAA is meant to give effect to Article 222 A of the Constitution with regard to the annual budget appropriation for constitutional agencies with a view to giving them financial autonomy. It establishes the financial independence of the constitutional entities to specifically allow for lump sum payments to be made to them and to free them from the automatic obligations of budgetary agencies and the attendant discretionary powers exercised by the Minister of Finance.

For three years, Jordan recommended and the House approved less than the requested sum with the Minister explaining that allocations were dependent on “fiscal space”.

During the 2019 consideration Jordan repeatedly stated that “the recommended allocation takes into account the economic outlook for 2019 for revenue, expenditure, growth in the economy, consideration of the Agency’s request within national development priorities and annualisation of salaries.”

For 2018 the refrain was “the recommended allocation takes into account the macro-economic outlook for 2018 for revenue, expenditure and growth in the economy, challenges in implementation encountered in 2017 and annualisation of salaries.”

The 16 agencies listed include Parliament Office which submitted Current and Capital Estimates totalling $1,799,248,000, the Office of the Auditor General whose estimates total $ 908,636,000, the Public and Police Service Commissions at $150,636,000 and the Teaching Service Commission which received $117,075,000

The Guyana Elections Commission received $4,943,052,000, the Supreme Court has budgeted for $2,443,164,000, the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions received $226,822,000, the Office of the Ombudsman asked for $70,001,000, the Public Service Appellate Tribunal received $40,911,000 and the Ethnic Relations Commission received $220,802,000

Additionally, the Judicial Service Commission has received $10,020,000, the Indigenous Peoples’ Commission applied for $ 24,392,000, the Human Rights Commission for $25,958,000, the Rights of the Child Commission for $46,095, 000, the Women and Gender Equality Commission for $39, 945,000 and the Public Procurement Commission received $206,460,000.

Yesterday’s sitting which was held during what is normally the Assembly’s recess period was facilitated by the suspension of Standing Order 9 which provides that “unless there are special reasons…no sitting…shall be held between 10th August and 10th October in any year.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Government, Gail Teixeira explained that as a result of the delayed March 2, 2020 election results, the National Assembly is being forced to meet during a period that is normally termed the “recess’ period. She added that this suspension is necessary in order to commence the sittings of the National Assembly to deliberate on urgent parliamentary matters including the presentation and consideration of the 2020 estimates of revenue and expenditure on or before October the 10th, 2020.

“As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, there is no budget for the year 2020 and we’re in the last quarter of the year. This is an urgent matter and I therefore ask that the house support the motion in my name,” she stated.

Additionally, Teixeira moved a motion to amend the hours of the Assembly. She stated that while Standing Order 10(1) provides for the very sitting of the National Assemble to begin at 2.00 p.m. and conclude at 10.00 p.m. as a result of the COVID-19 measures and the urgency to conclude a lot of work, she proposed that sitting of the 12th Parliament commence at 10.00 a.m. and go past the curfew to conclude at 8.00 p.m. She added that between the periods mentioned, there will be breaks at 12.00 to 1.00 p.m. and 4.00 to 5.00 p.m.

“We believe that particularly during budget, this will be required and I’m advised by the Minister of Health that parliament is an essential service…. its states [so] in the COVID measures of August 31st…therefore we can go past the curfew to 8 o’clock, if required,” she added.

The two motions were also passed during the absence of the Opposition.