Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 08, 2013 News
Although there have been disclosures by President Donald Ramotar and Attorney General Anil Nandlall that every measure will be taken to restore cuts imposed to the $208.8 billion 2013 National Budget by the parliamentary opposition, Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, has insisted that there will be no leniency with respect to some cuts.
Responding to a question posed to him by this publication, Ramjattan said that the cuts to the
National Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA) will not be allowed restoration “unless there is a radical transformation” at these media entities.
Ramjattan speculated that Government could seek to employ the very regular process, whereby moves are made to move money from one budgetary head unto another.
“As to whether they can do that, because the entire head for NCN and GINA was cut, it might be difficult; but I might have to ask my accountant expert friends,” Ramjattan said.
Another tactic that can be undertaken by the Government, the AFC Leader said, is to return to the National Assembly for supplementaries which, “I am certain we are going to block. They can say we interpret the ruling by the Chief Justice that the cuts to NCN and GINA are unconstitutional and then rush into the Contingency Fund to get more bailouts from an unelected official, whose opinion is at variance with the Speaker (of the National Assembly)’s, and that opinion (of the Speaker) is final and it is merely provisional with the Chief Justice,” Ramjattan said.
Regardless of the tactic employed, Ramjattan is convinced that “they (Government) are going to have huge problems.” In fact, he also stated that the parliamentary opposition will seek to ensure that the Minister of Finance be committed for contempt “if he does any illegality in trying to bypass what the commands of Parliament were on these issues of NCN and GINA.”
However, just last week President Ramotar publicly reiterated that “I will do every single thing possible to reverse the cuts…that were made in Parliament.”
According to the president, his plan to restore the cuts made to the budget will certainly not exclude moves to consult with the parliamentary opposition. He added that “I hope that they will remove the prejudices from their minds and see these projects for what they are.” He insisted too that the opposition has over time made the accusation that Government has not been consulting with it “but I have personally invited them to talk…about any one of the projects that they have difficulties with…that is still my attitude, that is still my position and I am ready to discuss all of these things and answer their questions.”
The parliamentary opposition had in fact premised its cut of the NCN budget on the fact that a report into wrongdoing at the media entity had not been unveiled, a pronouncement that had not prevented the Attorney General from gaining the endorsement of the Head of State to engage any and all legal avenues to have the budget cuts restored.
According to Nandlall, at a recent People’s Progressive Party press conference, “not even the Executive President of the country enjoys immunity from the legal process,” even as he disclosed that Government has considered and is pursuing legal action to restore cuts to the National budget which were imposed by the parliamentary opposition. He highlighted then too that “the President has said very clearly that we will do all that is permissible within our law and within our constitutional structure to ensure that the cuts effected by the opposition are restored, because we consider them to be vital for the development of this country and of a fundamental importance to the lives and livelihood of every single Guyanese”.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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