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By Abena Rockcliffe A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has, twice since the reading of budget 2013, signaled its desire to have Government Ministers take a polygraph.APNU shadow Minister of Finance, Carl GreenidgeA press conference held by APNU’s Shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge, subsequent to the reading of this year’s budget, marked the first instant where the call for government Ministers to be subjected to lie detector tests was registered.Deputy Speaker Deborah Backer, during her contribution to the budget debates, also voiced the party’s request to have all Government Ministers submit to the polygraph.She made the application based on the fact that only the day before Junior Finance Minister Bishop Juan Edghill noted that the government is developing a code of conduct. “He went through a list of things.”The APNU just want to challenge the government to “do one thing; get your Ministers, individually to submit to a polygraph test.”The House erupted.House Speaker, Raphael Trotman then interjected. He said that all members would have to do the same. To that Backer respond, “We don’t have a problem with that.” Simultaneously, another member on the APNU’s side loudly voiced “But we don’t spend state monies; is you guys got to account for the taxpayer’s money that y’all spend out.”The Deputy Speaker said that APNU is willing to work with Government Ministers “even though we don’t know which Minister we would find if the polygraph goes through, but we are willing to work together to move this country forward.”Just as Backer concluded her speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues- Birkett took the floor and assured the House that the government is ready to take a Polygraph test. “You guys just come with us, (referring to the opposition.)Two weeks ago, Greenidge had sought to debunk the government’s statement that it is seeking to maintain a Guyana where equality is at the forefront. He said despite those statements by the government; public servants remain subjected to polygraph tests while no such policy is in place for Government Ministers and other top Government officials.“The government speaks of equitable treatment but distributes radio license to its family, friends and party members.”“The fact that the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) is still to submit names for the Public Procurement Commission…the government also made more than adequate provisions for these Capital projects, conveniently for its friends and at the whims and fancies of the president. Look how many projects allocated to Chinese firms.”The former Minister added, “The government has created many, many commercial ventures that have concessions that are not open to anyone else.”Greenidge asserted that every year the Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, goes to Parliament with an increased Budget estimate from the year before but proof of its use is lacking. “If it was effectively being used, then Guyana wouldn’t have had its current rate of migration.”APNU’s shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Speaker: Deborah BackerThe former Finance Minister said that discrimination, lack of transparency and abuse of power, “are some the reasons Guyana is seeing so much migration. These people need to be held accountable.”Greenidge also pointed out that the “rapid” growth of international indebtedness, which was “flagged by Clive Thomas,Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale, is something that we really need to care about. Where is all the money going?” That would be a good question for the polygraph. |
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