Govt to suspend Parliamentary recess for budget

– Govt. moves to gain control of Parliamentary sectoral committees Government is set to move a motion on Thursday to suspend the two months Parliamentary recess so that

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo

it can table the National Budget. During the sitting, it is expected also that a motion will be presented that will give Government control of four key sectoral committees– committees that it had control of while it was in the Opposition during the 10th Parliament. According to the Order Paper of the National Assembly for July 30, First Vice President and Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, will be moving to suspend the recess that is held between August 10 and October 10. According to the motion that is to be read, due to the prorogation and dissolution of the 10th Parliament, the Minister of Finance was unable to lay before the National Assembly the estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2015. Government wants the estimates to be laid and considered before September 1. Meanwhile, on Thursday also, Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally, is expected to also move a motion which will allow Government control of the four sectoral committees. Under the arrangements of the 10th Parliament, when the Opposition was in control of the National Assembly by one seat, each Sectoral Committee had consisted of seven members- three representing the Government and four the Opposition. With the former Opposition now in Government, the David Granger administration wants to retain control. According to the motion, each committee will be adjusted to have four representing the Government and three for the Opposition. The Government and Opposition shall be entitled to elect one alternate member for each sectoral committee.