House rejects motion to cut funding for Amerindian communities

By Vanessa Narine, Friday, 13 December 2013, Source

Mr. Peter Persaud of the Amerindian Action Movement

of Guyana joining in the protest

THE National Assembly last evening considered a motion from Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, to cut a provision of some $500M for projects and programmes in Amerindian communities, brought to the House in a supplementary financial paper tabled by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh.

And Members of Parliament vote resulted in the motion to reduce the provision not being carried in the Committee of Supply.

Ramjattan filed a motion with Parliament on Tuesday to cut $300M in supplementary funding earmarked for the provision of projects and programmes in Amerindian communities.

However, even as the House commenced the sitting, Amerindians from various regions turned out in their numbers to protest Ramjattan’s move outside Public Buildings. Among those represented were members of the Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG) and staff of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.

On the issue of voting for the provision, 30 members abstained, two members voted against it and 32 MPs voted in support.

JUSTIFICATION
Shadow Finance Minister for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Carl Greenidge, called the request an irresponsible one and was subsequently chided by the Speaker Raphael Trotman.

Accepting the Speaker’s contentions, Greenidge called for a justification in the validity, feasibility and acceptability of the large request.

APNU front-bencher Dr. Aubrey Norton reiterated similar sentiments and asked for the minister to justify the urgency of the allocation and the unavoidability of its coming to Parliament.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai told the House that the $500M supplementary funding comes on the heels of the just concluded National Toshao’s Council meetings, which sought to provide a forum for Amerindian village leaders to plan developmental projects for their respective communities.

According to her, it includes coverage: of transportation costs for school children using both the roadways and waterways; and costs to develop roads and access paths to promote trade and agriculture, among other priority areas.

AFC Member Valerie Garrido-Lowe noted the time frame of the submission, two weeks before the end of the year, as well as the fact that the supplementary is more than the initial sum approved in the 2013 Budget, $392M.

Sukhai returned that the request following the end of the National Toshao’s Conference was tabled since November 7 and now, 35 days later, is being debated.

Garrido-Lowe questioned the spending on providing transportation for Amerindian children, when other children on the coast are not afforded the same luxury – a comment that was widely heckled in the House.

The subject Minister explained that many of the expenses are small amounts, the community participation limit being $1.5M, while others will be approved funds to facilitate the tendering process to ensure transportation arrangements are in place for January.

Greenidge pressed a line of questioning; asking what percent of the $500M is for contracts.

“There will not be any contract,” she said.

Sukhai maintained that the provision is intended to improve the lives of Amerindian people in the Hinterland areas.

By the end of the evening, the financial paper containing the $500M provision, as well as provisions in the Agriculture and Public Works Ministries, totalling $7.74B, was passed by the House.