Latest update May 6th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 05, 2013 News
– APNU’s James Bond
By Zena Henry
Commencing with a poem from his “favourite” poet, William Butler Yeats, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) member James Bond, yesterday delivered his address on the 2013 budget emphasising flaws in the Guyanese dream of which the government speaks.
He charged that the immortal words of the poem are a testament of past heroes such as former presidents Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham, whom he said came from humble beginnings, going on to great things and
working in favour of the poor.
Bond said when Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh speaks of strides made in judicial sector, “he neglects, whether deliberately or capriciously, to provide a barometer as to how far we have come based on the justice sector reform strategy”.
The main indicators, he said, are statistics in road activities, police shootings, serious crimes, percentage of crime against women, prosecuted cases and prisoners on remand, among other things.
The main issues that the 2013 budget should have focused on, Bond said, were neglected.
“But if we slide out of the PPP rabbit hole, the majority of goals set have not been achieved and we have had seven years already to implement a five-year plan.”
Bond charged that the justice improvement programme has failed to deliver in key areas; upgrade and capacity building of staff, juvenile justice programme, comparative remuneration, training and provision of legal aid to members of both bench and bar, access to records and data of registries and sub-registries and judgments of Judges and Magistrates.
The lawyer, in his parliamentary capacity, said there is a marked absence of infrastructure that protects the victims of crime; there is a marked absence of a second chance policy that caters for post-released employability of adults and juveniles.
“I want to call a spade and spade and say that the Honourable Minister of Finance was bluffing at page 48 of his budget speech that more judges, better trained police prosecutors, increased capacity and expansion of the office of the DPP into the administrative regions and better sourced magisterial districts all have the potential of significantly improving the functioning of the criminal justice system in 2013.” Bond said the statement is “all hype” and has no substance.
The APNU MP dared the Finance minister to deny that it is the aim of the justice reform strategy to phase out police prosecution and to improve efficiency and competence in the criminal justice system, “clearly showing that the Honourable Minister recognizes some of the potentialities, but has he put adequate measures in place to realize these potentialities? I daresay he hasn’t”
Bond said judges and magistrates are still writing their fingers off, while they are still without research assistants. He spoke of the unfortunate conditions of noise nuisance and cramming in the courts.
“That is no dream,” he stressed, further pointing to the high incidence of police brutality.
“That is no dream, that we have no Ombudsman to check the excesses of administrative bodies, even though last year we went through this….this is no dream.”
While highlighting the employment rates, the migration rate, the percentage of persons living in poverty and the hardship of owning a home, Bond said the Guyanese dream is to, “Get the education then leave.”
Prior to Bond making his contribution, Labour Minister and PPP MP Nanda Gopaul gave his take on the budget. He commented on the development of infrastructure and the moving forward of the working sector. He defended the ministry’s non intervention in the contentious RUSAL issue, answering the question posed by an opposition member.
The minister said while the ministry entered the GPL issue because it provides essential services, it is not the same with RUSAL, adding that the trade union has its right to take legal action for affected employees. The minister also spoke of the shortage of locally skilled labour which in turn, contributes to overlapping projects.
He said he was disappointed at the generalisation of the 2013 budget which he believes is the most complete in recent times.
He concluded by asking AFC MPs Khemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo to “come back home to the PPP” where there is value in working together.
GRA catch EXXON trying to hunch GUYANA over 11 BUS dollars in one shot!!!!
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