Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 26, 2016 News
Parliament is still far from having a crucial Budget Office despite Government’s promise some 17 months ago that this would become a reality. This failing was confirmed yesterday by Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs.
The Clerk said that the Budget Office is yet to be established since it has not been clarified which agency is to be responsible for its creation.
Isaacs said, “We have not made any effort. We are not clear on whether the office should be established by the Parliament or the Ministry of Finance. We are not sure which agency is responsible. This is yet to be clarified.”
Asked to say if Parliament made any effort to ascertain which agency should be charged with the establishment of the office, Isaacs responded, “No I have not. We haven’t.”
The Clerk of the National Assembly was unable to say whether the Budget Office remains a priority for the Parliament.
In this regard, he said, “I can’t say. I’d say it is a matter for the government and not the Parliament. But I am still not certain.”
He said that the issue is one that would have to be discussed with the Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland.
For nearly 23 years, there has been the longstanding issue of distrust in statistics regarding the performance of the country when produced by the government. This led to scathing criticisms of the previous administration.
Local economists believe that with the establishment of a Budget Office, it would serve to restore faith in statistics provided by the new government.
Specifically, economist Dr. Clive Thomas says that the creation of a Budget Office is also critical to advancing the quality of economic governance in Guyana.
In an interview with this newspaper, Dr. Thomas had emphasized that, “a Budget Office is extremely important to the National Assembly. In fact, it was pioneered by the USA but the office is one that should be tasked with several important responsibilities”.
He said that it will give Parliamentarians an economic office that will allow them to make demands and test the validity of statistics brought by the government.
Dr. Thomas asserted that it will also help them to measure various programmes to be brought from Government. The economist commented that the office should be another important aspect of the budget debates and the general discussions of the economy.
The Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development stated, “But generally, most of our Members of Parliament (MPs) are not well informed on economic matters, whereas the average parliamentarian abroad tends to be more informed simply because their economy is discussed as though it’s a natural thing.”
He added, “So it is going to be empowering for the MPs, particularly those in the opposition, as they will be able to have this office at their disposal. They can enjoy the benefits of an initiative they neglected for so many years.”
The economist said that the value of the Budget Office in restoring faith in the national statistics cannot be underestimated. He stressed that it is important because it guides the nation in ascertaining whether what government proposes to do is too much, too little, or just right.
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