Jordan disappointed at ‘mute’ Jagdeo during Budget estimates
Minister of Finance Winston Jordan
Minister of Finance Winston Jordan

FINANCE Minister Winston Jordan has expressed disappointment at Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo’s silence during the deliberations on the 2015 budget estimates although the floor was open for discussions.However, Jordan at a post-cabinet press briefing declared that he did not want a ‘battle’ with Jagdeo, a former Finance Minister and President.
“He had his opportunity and never once got up to answer a question. I would not like to be in a battle with Mr. Jagdeo because as a leader, if you keep prodding those behind and you don’t want to go in front, then there must be a problem somewhere,” Jordan said.
The Finance Minister was clearly referring to Opposition Members of Parliament,  former Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali and former Junior Finance Minister Juan Edghill, who he said had probed “rudimentary” questions that were designed to either embarrass an official or a set agenda by Government.
“As for Ali’s questions, I refused to answer as they were out of order. You have to stay within the rules of the House. I was disappointed to say the least at the small number of questions and the quality of the questions,” said Jordan. This, he said, was not “unexpected”, however.
Unrelated matters
The former Minister of Tourism grilled the Finance Minister on unrelated matters to the budget estimates although being repeatedly shunned for the questions he asked. His questions mostly surrounded the statutory expenditure, which Jordan explained were “not within the Standing Orders”.
“I did not refuse to answer any of the questions put to me but I refused to answer questions that are not within the Standing Orders,” said Jordan, indicating that the questions should have been related to the appropriation expenditures.
The budget comprises two types of expenditure, the appropriation expenditure and the statutory expenditure. The statutory expenditure has a first claim on the Consolidated Fund which implies that public servants have priority over those funds whereas the Appropriation Expenditure comprises the money allocated for spending that were be only debated on in the National Assembly.
In spite of the number of clarifications on the forensic audits carried out by Government, Edghill still tossed questions at Jordan by inquiring about monies being paid to the firms and auditors that were employed to carry out the forensic audits. Jordan said that currently a total of $150M is being paid to fifteen contracted companies.
Meanwhile, Jagdeo accused Jordan after the deliberations of the estimates, of masking himself behind rules of the National Assembly and refusing to answer questions asked by the Opposition on where the money that was allocated to some entities had sprung from, whether the Consolidated Fund or the Contingency Fund.
Jordan maintained his position that he would not answer questions falling outside the Standing Orders but he was well prepared to challenge any uproar on the Appropriation Bill.

By Shivanie Sugrim

 

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