Finance Minister on budget consultations…‘The door is always open’
Thursday, 6 February 2014, Source
GOVERNMENT remains committed to its open-door policy with regard to budgetary consultations, as it is through this mechanism that the constant exchange of views is enabled, and suggestions, issues, challenges and concerns are noted.
Dr Ashni Singh, Minister of Finance
This was told the Government Information Agency (GINA) Tuesday by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, in response to a query about the political opposition parties’ refusal to meet with Finance Ministry officials for the afore-mentioned consultations.
QUOTE: “The door is always open; there must be no doubt in their minds about that. And there must be no doubt in the minds of the people of Guyana that the Government of Guyana is open, willing and ready to meet with the Opposition at any time on the matter of Budget 2014; indeed, on any matter of national importance, but more particularly, on Budget 2014. That must be made crystal clear”
Noting that the consultation is in keeping with government’s policy to engage with various stakeholders, particularly with regard to the shaping of policy and inputs on key issues, Dr Singh said that by so doing, “…we are able to learn what their priorities are; we are able to explain issues and challenges so that they are better informed to formulate their own positions on issues.”
A typical example of consultation at work, he said, is the National Competitiveness Council, which brings together the leadership of the private sector, organised labour, and leading government officials, and is headed by the President.
The Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee of the Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), he said, is another good example, in that it “… again brings together several stakeholders, and ensures that they are kept informed on major developments, major projects, ensures that their input is provided in major initiatives and in the policy-making function more generally.”
He said that it is in keeping with government’s policy that invitations have been extended to the two parliamentary political parties, the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
He, however, lamented that despite several calls for consultations, there appears to be no real interest, by either party, to engage on the matter of Budget 2014.
He said that APNU’s shadow Finance Minister, Mr. Carl Greenidge, even went so far as to indicate that he “sees no point in the consultations,” but, happily he is “a tiny minority” with that view, as there have been large groups of representatives which have met with the Finance Ministry to discuss and consult on the national budget.
Discussions have so far been held with the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and all of these have been successful, Dr Singh said.
“The door is always open; there must be no doubt in their minds about that,” he said. “And there must be no doubt in the minds of the people of Guyana that the Government of Guyana is open, willing and ready to meet with the opposition at any time on the matter of Budget 2014; indeed, on any matter of national importance, but more particularly, on Budget 2014. That must be made crystal clear.”
Minister Singh said he is optimistic that there will be a re-think within the ranks of the Opposition. “I don’t get the sense that Greenidge’s position enjoys widespread support in the opposition,” he said. “I believe that there are some in the Opposition who would like to see these consultations happen, but I don’t know what the hierarchical structures are in the Opposition; where the authority resides, and who really enjoys the right to issue instructions to whom… I do get the clear and distinct impression that there is, at least within some quarters of the opposition that there is an interest in engaging with us.”
