-Min. Bulkan tells House

MINISTER of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, has rejected claims by Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo on the 2018 budget, noting that the budget furthers decentralisation of the local government system.

During his presentation on the 2018 budget debate on Tuesday, Bulkan said that it has been widely reported that Jagdeo has labelled the budget as lacking vision and uninspiring. He offered a different view. Bulkan said that the budget speaks to decentralised governance and empowerment of people to manage their own affairs at the regional, municipal and local levels. He said it places community participation at the fore of development.

He accused Jagdeo of being the main architect of local government stagnation, stifling the local government system and depriving the system of needed resources. He also accused the opposition leader of advising local leaders from participating in rebuilding of the local government system which he noted will benefit communities.

He said budget 2018 caters for the government vision for local government and makes available the capacity and resources for people to chart their courses. As he noted, the M$1.6 sum allocated for local government, Bulkan said that in 2018 funds will go towards participation in the process, institutional strengthening and capacity-building, funding for councils, water and housing as well as to the Local Government Commission and 37.9B to regional development.

He said that a new initiative on the regional development is the promotion of the regional agricultural and commercial exhibitions which he noted will be held annually in each region. He said the exhibitions will showcase and promote local products and will be held in conjunction with several other government ministries, the private sector and other key stakeholders.

Admittedly, Bulkan told the National Assembly that indeed the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) has suffered setbacks; he however noted that the overall end-of-year projection will see the implementation rate being at 94% as he noted its shortage of reaching its projected aim. To this end he said that government is not shy of acknowledging its shortcomings.

Bulkan said all hinterland regions have enjoyed 10% or more in the 2018 budgetary allocations, as he noted several projects which will see schools and other public facilities being constructed in the country’s administrative regions. The capital allocations for the administrative regions will see an increase of some eight percent in 2018.

Addressing regional development, Minister Bulkan explained that the highest allocation of $544M will go to the Region Six, East Berbice-Corentyne, while the smallest provision of approximately $226M will go to Region Eight, Potaro-Siparuni. He added that all the hinterland regions will enjoy increases of 10 percent or more in allocation.

Meanwhile he explained that “Proposed recurrent allocations stand at $33.8B, an increase of more than $2B.” Minister Bulkan underscored that in 2017 the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) had received government funding of approximately $35.5B; recurrent appropriations-$31.6B and capital investments-$3.9B. Other regional developments achieved in 2017 and highlighted by the minister include the promotion of Regional Agricultural and Commercial Exhibitions (RACE) and the National and Regional Development Consultative Committee (NRDCC).

RACE, Minister Bulkan indicated is to spur and support local economic development. Minister Bulkan pointed out that RACE will be held annually in every region and the exhibitions will showcase and promote local products in their respective regions.

The NRDCC, he reminded, the opposition boycotted and declared that “this time we do not expect a repeat of the boycott and we look forward to engaging the regional leadership in issues critical to the development of their respective regions. Regarding the Local Government Commission (LGC) & Guyana Association of Municipalities (GAM), Minister Bulkan indicated that budget 2018 provides $110M and $10M respectively.

Meanwhile, opposition Member of Parliament, Collin Croal, during his presentation called on Minister Bulkan to pay attention to the actions of the Regional Executive Officers (REOs), noting that the officials should be made to recognize that RDCs are the authority in the regions.

Croal, who supported his opposition colleagues in their non-support of the 2018 budget, noted that the opposition is willing to work with government at the level of local government, however he alleged that the opposition- controlled Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) are being bypassed.