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By Kiana WilburgThe 2017 current and capital estimates for constitutional agencies and commissions were passedFinance Minister,Taylor Mays College Jersey, Winston Jordanin the National Assembly yesterday.The motion for consideration of the estimates was moved by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. The House subsequently resolved itself into the Committee of Supply to facilitate this process.House Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland guided the members on how the proceedings would take place. He noted that given an agreement made in the Business Subcommittee, there would be no debate on the budget proposals.He said that the Finance Minster would give his remarks and recommendations on the proposed estimates for the constitutional agencies and commissions. The House Speaker said that Members of the House would be allowed to reply to Jordan’s comments.PARLIAMENT OFFICEThe first agency up for consideration was the Parliament. The budget request for this office for the year 2017 was $1,723,483,Kemba Walker Uconn Jersey,000. However, the Finance Minister said that in keeping with the law, his recommendation for this agency would be $1,519,506,000.He said that his recommendation was based on Government’s fiscal profile which it has been able to develop for 2017, as well as assumptions made for revenue expenditure and borrowing.Perhaps in anticipation of the questions and comments that would come from the Opposition, Jordan sought to make it clear that budget proposals by any agency,Matt Barkley USC Jersey, constitutional or not, are just that – proposals.PPP Chief WhipGail TeixeiraHe said that those proposals have to be subjected to scrutiny, whether it is by the National Assembly, ultimately; by the agency itself (in the case of the Constitutional agencies) or by the Ministry of Finance, as it relates to the non-constitutional agencies.Jordan said that at the end of the day,Troy Polamalu USC Jersey, all the budgetary requests made by the agencies have to be matched against the revenue profile that the Government would have developed, as well as the nation’s capacity to borrow.The Finance Minister reminded too that once the sum is approved, the budgets of constitutional agencies cannot be varied downwards, only upwards, unlike the case with other agencies.Jordan said that if there is a crisis,Cheap Uconn Huskies Jerseys, the budgets of other agencies could be varied downwards. This cannot occur in the case of a Constitutional agency. The Finance Minister stressed that his views in this regard will be the same for the other agencies as they appear for consideration by the Committee of Supply.First on the floor from the Opposition People’s Progressive Party was its Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira. She said that her side of the House differed strongly with the comments made by the Finance Minister regarding his interpretation of what he can and cannot do with the constitutional bodies.Opposition MP Irfaan AliTeixeira reminded the House, that Parliament’s proposed budget estimate was cut in 2016 and Jordan’s amendment was approved. Yesterday was essentially déjà vu for the Opposition member,Kyle Lowry Villanova Jersey, as she pointed out that the Parliament office has presented a proposal of $1,723,483,000 and Jordan has cut it to $1,519,506,000. She then challenged Jordan to say why he was cutting some $200M from the proposed estimates of the Parliament.“The citizens are watching us. I am therefore asking him (Finance Minister) to enlighten us and the citizens. Why are you cutting $200M from the Parliament?”In defence of the Finance Minister,Troy Aikman UCLA Jersey, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge said that there has been no time where the Parliament Office or any of the other offices made proposals which have been approved without scrutiny.Greenidge also emphasised that there is no cut, and objected to use of the term. He stressed too, that the request from the agency does not constitute a requirement.Despite Greenidge’s contention, Teixeira held fast to her opinion.“I know the word ‘cut’ hurts…But the fact remains that the agencies proposed one sum and it has been amended,” the Chief Whip said.Jordan did not answer Teixeira’s question. Instead, he stated that he has conformed to the law in presenting his remarks and recommendations, and did not wish to go beyond.Opposition Member Irfaan Ali was not satisfied with this. Ali said that the Finance Minister has a duty and a responsibility to respond to the questions of the Opposition. He said that the Opposition’s questions are merely based on Jordan’s remarks and assumptions.“All we want is for the nation to understand what are the assumptions used to cut the proposed budget for the Parliament,” Ali stated.In spite of the Opposition’s call for answers in this regard, the recommended $1.5B for the Parliament Office was passed.OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERALThe proposed estimate for this agency was $771,215,Ronnie Lott USC Jersey,000. The Finance Minister maintained his opening remarks and recommended for the Audit Office, the sum of $754,910,000.Ali, as head of the Public Accounts Committee, sought to justify the reasons why the Audit Office had proposed that sum. He was, however,Rey Maualuga USC Jersey, stopped in his tracks by the Speaker of the House, who reminded Ali that his actions were not in keeping with the agreed order in which the Committee of Supply would operate.There were repeated questions from the Opposition seeking for Jordan to justify why the proposed sum for the Office was reduced. The Finance Minister however, maintained what he stated in his opening remarks that the sums recommended were in keeping with the revenue profile of the nation.The sum of $754.9M was subsequently put to a vote and passed by the House.OTHER AGENCIESThe Opposition’s questions surrounding the amendments to the proposed 2017 budget estimates of other constitutional agencies were also given the same answer by the Finance Minister.The Public and Police Service Commission requested $95M, but Jordan’s recommended sum was $91M. The latter was subsequently approved.The Teaching Service Commission requested $150M, but it was Jordan’s suggested $123,952,000 that was passed by the National Assembly.The proposed budget for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was $5,822,974,000. However, this was amended to $2,029, 932,000 and was approved for passage by the House. Jordan said that at first glance, there seems to be a significant reduction compared to allocations in 2015 and 2016. He said, however, that those were election seasons. The Finance Minister said that since there is no election for 2017, the sum was amended.In the case of the Supreme Court, there was a proposed budget request of $2,033,313,000. Granted by the House, however, was the sum of $1,766,079,000. The Finance Minister noted that should there be a need for additional funds, a supplementary financial paper would be brought before the House once the money is available and necessary.The Public Prosecutions Office requested $206,258,000. Approved by the majority in the House was $168,357,000.The Office of the Ombudsman for 2017 was given $48,311,000. The House also approved the sum of $12,499,000 for the Public Service Appellate Tribunal. The Ethnic Relations Commission and the Judicial Service Commission received $84,982,000 and $10,020,000 respectively.In the case of the Indigenous People’s Commission, the National Assembly approved the Government’s recommended sum of $24,424,000.The Human Rights Commission in 2017 will benefit from $34,110,000 while the Rights of the Child Commission and the Women and Gender Equality Commission will receive $41,581,000 and $42,000,000 respectively.In the case of the Public Procurement Commission that is soon to be formerly established, Government has set aside $76,200,000. This proposed budget estimate was also approved by the House.The Finance Minister said at the time of the budget preparation, the Commission was not operational and so no budget was sent to the Ministry of Finance. In recognition of the fact that it will be up and running by next year, Jordan said that the Commission would already have some funds to start with.