Budget passed minus $31.4B

-    Ramotar agrees to Tripartite Budget Committee

After almost a month of arguments, the National Assembly on Wednesday evening approved the 2013 National Budget, but $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 last budget cut occurred on Wednesday, when $19 billion was cut from the allocation for the Low Carbon Development Strategy. The opposition argued that the money has not yet been approved by the Inter-American Development Bank, but once it is approved, the government can return to the National Assembly and ask for approval.
The second largest cut was $5.6 billion under the Ministry of Public Works. The opposition had only intended to cut $5.3 billion for the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion plan, citing lack of transparency. However, owing to a mistake, the opposition had no choice but to cut funding for the airport expansion plan and other transport projects, including for hinterland airstrips, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ogle Airport.
The third largest cut was $5.2 billion in subsidies for the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated. The other cuts were $1.25 billion for the Specialty Hospital on the grounds that there was a lack of transparency, and a total of $217.1 million from the Government Information Agency and the state-run TV and radio NCN, under the grounds that the entities were only pushing propaganda and shutting out opposition voices.
Despite the budget cuts, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh expressed satisfaction with the final budget.
The opposition had argued that a budget that could have satisfied all could have been presented if the government was truly committed to consultation.
With the controversy over the budget cuts, President Donald Ramotar met with the Parliamentary opposition, namely APNU and AFC, and committed to a tripartite budget process for next year’s budget.
“We met President Donald Ramotar on two occasions in an attempt to ensure that this budgetary process would go more smoothly and at least one thing has come out of it, he has agreed that from the first of July 2013 he will initiate a process by which the opposition is more closely associated with the preparation of the budget,” Opposition Leader David Granger announced.