THE Government Information Agency (GINA) is no longer disseminating partisan propaganda, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said as he defended the $215M budgeted for that agency.People’s Progressive Party Member of Parliament Bishop Juan Edghill had called on the Prime Minister to justify the sharp increase for the agency: from $170M budgeted in 2016 to the $215M set aside for the agency in 2017, given that his initial position when in Opposition had resulted in the agency’s subvention being reduced to zero.
“Mr. Chair, GINA is no longer performing partisan propaganda function. GINA as everyone can testify, is now providing a national information public function; and to that extent, the state has a responsibility to maintain GINA in a position that it can function,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo told the Committee.
A large percent of the $215M will cater for the wages of the GINA staff, he explained. He noted that the subvention would also be used to purchase material and equipment, fuel and lubricants, a fleet of vehicles, and goods and services.
Additionally, a percentage of the funds will be used to maintain the environment, to ensure that it is safe and comfortable for the workers. The agency currently has a staff strength of 35 persons, representing an increase of five when compared with 2015.
Reacting to this detailed response provided by the Prime Minister, Edghill questioned whether the senior Government official would be kind enough to provide the committee with a log of how much time was allocated to the Government, and the amount allocated to the Opposition on the programmes aired by GINA. For such information, the Opposition Member would need a motion, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said in his response.
Turning his attention to the National Communications Network (NCN), the Opposition Member then sought to acquire information on the entity’s total expenditure and revenue for 2016. Approximately $134.1M have been budgeted for the state-owned entity. According to the information provided by the Prime Minister, as of today, NCN has received revenue of $400.9M. The company anticipates that, by the end of the year, it should be able to receive $443.4M. However, it was noted that the expected deficit for 2016 is projected at $69.9M.
“The current number is $59.9M, and a lot of it has to do with having inherited a bad business practice of customers, prior to 2014 and up to 2015, having rendered services to clients who didn’t pay up,” he explained. On that point, it was noted that the total expenditure for this year is $649.7M.
Edghill then called for a disclosure of the names, positions and emoluments of the top 10 ten persons working at NCN. Based on this request, it was disclosed that the Chief Executive Officer Lennox Cornette takes home a salary of 600,000 while Programme Manager Ron Robinson is paid $350,000 per month. Finance Manager Teshika DaCosta is paid $300,000; an internal auditor receives a monthly salary of $274,000 and the Editor-in-Chief is paid $127,000.
New radio stations
Under Capital Expenditures, Prime Minister Nagamootoo explained that there are major plans in store for NCN, in which a number of radio stations will be established. It was noted that in the 2017 Budget, $250M have been budgeted for the establishment of four community radio stations, equipment for Radio Paiwomak, and provision of equipment for one of the stations. Of that sum, the Prime Minister pointed out, an amount of $150M will be used to establish community radio stations in Aishalton, Orealla, Bartica and Mahdia, for the very first time. He noted that buildings have already been identified to house these stations.
“NCN plans to have a network roll-out from Georgetown that would take expanded signals to Bartica, Mahdia, Lethem and Kwakwani; and $12M would be spent on equipment and setting up the facilities to expand the relay to outlying stations via satellite,” the Prime Minister explained.
A sum of $10M will be spent on Radio Paiwomak, he added. This radio station, established under the Iwokrama Project, has been run down due to the shortfall in subvention. “We discovered that the facilities were run down. The studios… didn’t have windows on, and air conditioning (units were) not working. (There were) not even proper chairs on which the Indigenous people and announcers were expected to be seated,” he further explained.
As such, he said, his office has taken on the project to facilitate the upgrade of the radio station, which broadcasts content in the Indigenous language.
