Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 24, 2014 News
The Committee of Privileges would be convened next Wednesday to determine whether Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh violated the Parliamentary Standing Orders. The Committee would also be tasked with recommending sanctions if the ‘Member’ is found guilty.
Apparently, the two weeks of Budget 2014 debates and considerations of the estimates took priority over the Opposition making good on its threat to see the Minister before the Committee of Privileges.
“A complaint against Dr. Singh was referred to the Committee. However, the Committee was unable to meet because of Budget debates but will meet shortly,” a source said.
In December 2013, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) made good its promise of holding Dr. Singh accountable for allocating unapproved monies that the combined opposition cut from government agencies and projects in the Budget 2013.
Leader of the Opposition, Brig. David Granger, had announced that Dr. Singh’s action was unlawful and that APNU will initiate action through the National Assembly to deal with “Ministers who feel that they are not accountable to the National Assembly and who behave in an unlawful manner.”
In 2013, the opposition cut $31.35B from the National Budget. As such, from the $208.8B proposed for spending by Dr. Singh only $177.4B was approved. The Opposition had cut the budgetary allocations set aside for the National Communications Network (NCN), Government Information Agency (GINA) and Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL).
Cuts were also made to the Ministries of Public Works and Health however Dr. Singh went ahead and spent on those agencies, despite such cuts by the Opposition.
Then APNU MP, Jaipaul Sharma, had highlighted the wrongs of the Finance Minister and the three Ministers, whose Ministries moneys were allocated even though they were cut by the opposition.
He had said that they should be placed before the Committee of Privileges but to that notion most members of Parliament (MPs) sitting on the government side heckled/laughed at the pronouncement.
According to Joseph Harmon, APNU MP and member of the Committee of Privileges, he has not been notified as yet as to when the Committee will meet. Nonetheless, the matter pertaining to the Finance Minister is pending.
During the Ninth Parliament Housing Minister Irfaan Ali and Mrs. Deborah Backer were referred to the Committee. Only Mrs. Backer’s matter was ever heard but the Committee’s recommendations were never implemented by the House. In relation to Ali, Parliament had dissolved before the matter was heard against him.
The Committee of Privileges may recommend to the House that a Member be reprimanded or called on to apologize or face suspension.
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Apr 19, 2024
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