APNU seeks to sanction Finance

Minister for unapproved spending

The political opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has taken the next step in its promise of holding the Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh accountable for allocating unapproved monies that the combined opposition cut from government agencies and projects in the budget.

Leader of the Opposition David Granger

APNU, through its leader David Granger, announced recently that the action by the Finance Minister 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.”
According to the Granger  “As far as that is concerned you have not heard the end of it, any Minister of the Government who is held to behave in an unlawful manner will have to answer to a Committee of Privileges and that action is going to be taken.”
Granger articulated that the process to bring the Finance Minister to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges has started. “A motion has been drafted and I think by now it would’ve been in Parliament or submitted” said Granger.
He said that ministers are accountable to the National Assembly and he is aware of the law and what the Constitution and the Standing Orders call for.
Speaking on when the Finance Minister will be brought before the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges, the Opposition Leader said that once the motion is brought before the National Assembly, it has to be first approved and after the decision is taken it is then up to the Speaker to convene a committee.
“Given the time of the year it may not occur until next year but it could happen, we are meeting again on December 19.”
This year’s National Budget approved $31.35 billion less than what was originally presented to the House. Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh had presented a $208.8 billion budget on March 25.  After a series of amendments, the budget was reduced to $177.4 billion.
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 Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh went ahead and spent on those agencies, despite such cuts by the Opposition.
On the floor of the last sitting of the National Assembly on December 12, APNU MP Jaipaul Sharma as he explained the wrongs of the Finance Minister and the three Ministers to whose Ministries moneys were allocated even though it was cut by the opposition, 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.