THE consideration of the estimates got underway in the National Assembly yesterday and it took on a form and feel not   unlike previous years, where Members of the Opposition pose questions related to Government spending and make comparisons   with the previous year’s allocations. Member of Parliament for the PNCR asked about one of the most controversial issues during the examination of estimates –   contractual employees.
The Minister answering questions on behalf of the Office of the President was Jennifer Webster, Minister within the   Ministry of Finance. PNCR MP Aubrey Norton asked why there is still a preponderance of contractual employees over those   employed through the traditional public service route.
The Minister deferred the question to her colleague Minister of Public Service Dr. Jennifer Westford, who said that most of   the employees opt to make their employment contractual, and this they have a right to do.
Said Dr. Westford: “Year after year we come here and say what the reason is for the [number] of contract workers.” She said   also that two bands of employees have been taken off the Public Service employment framework.
“Workers have a right to decide whether they want to be a pensionable worker or whether they want to be a contracted   worker. A large percentage of staff has been asking for [contract worker status],” she said.
But persistently, Norton asked the Minister to provide the numbers to the National Assembly. To this, the minister replied   that this information is situated in the estimates themselves.
In continuing to examine the expenditure of the Office of the President, PNCR MP Deborah Backer asked how many advisers the   President had working there. This Webster confirmed to be two persons. When asked what the advisers advised on, Webster   said governance and empowerment. Gail Teixeira is the Presidential Adviser on Governance while Odinga Lumumba is the   Presidential Adviser on Empowerment.
Turning on the allocation of a little over $4 billion for the One Laptop per Family project, PNCR MP Volda Lawrence asked   what the cost of each laptop was and the brand of the machines. To this, Webster replied that the brand is Lenovo and each   unit will cost $295,000, all things considered.
Further, Webster said that of the $4 billion, $1.8 billion would be utilised this year to procure 27,000 laptops. Webster   said that the tendering process for the acquisition of the laptops would be a competitive one. She said that some of the   money is coming from the Chinese Government for the project.
Backer asked how it could be that there has been competitive bidding when the minister is at this time able to say what   brand the laptops will be and what the cost is. Webster replied that the particulars were furnished to her by the Project   Management Unit for the laptop project.
Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn defended Government’s intended spending on the Guyana Elections   Commission and said that the Government was even prepared to lose a boat if it meant the successful conduct of elections.   He said this in response to persistent questions on the state of three boats belonging to GECOM and whether there was   feasibility in repairing them rather than acquiring new ones.
PNCR MP Clarissa Riehl pointed out that despite there being no Ombudsman in place for at least the last five years, the   Office of the Ombudsman is still maintained and financed every year by the budget.
This year the budget devotes $12 million for the Office of the Ombudsman. Benn again defended the allocation of resources,   saying that there is a Secretariat and provision must be made for the eventual appointment of an Ombudsman.
“What efforts have been made in 2010 to fill the vacancy?” asked Backer. Benn answered saying that there are bipartisan   efforts to fill the vacancy. He said that in the meantime the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service is   responsible for the funds that have been allocated to this office. Reihl pointed out that the actual spending for this   office is about $3 million yearly for the past five years.