The Committee of Supply of Parliament on Thursday approved two Financial Papers totalling $6.254B for the supplementary provision of current and capital estimates, including an allocation of $3.8B for  purchase of the two 7.8 megawatts Wartsila units.
There was also a sum of $400M sought for preparatory works for the widening of the four-lane highway from Better Hope to Golden Grove on the East Coast of Demerara. And a sum of $20.4M was sought for the government’s aid contribution to the people of Japan for the earthquake recovery.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said that the Japanese government provided a bank account for the Japanese Red Cross and the money was transferred to that account. When questioned by members of the Opposition as to how the amount was decided, she said that government looked at what was provided in the past to countries with disasters and this was the amount settled upon. “We felt this was an amount we could afford at this time,” she said.
The Foreign Minister said that the assistance is not targeted towards any specific area and that government trusts the Red Cross of Japan to disburse the money as it sees fit to aid in the relief efforts.
For the procurement of security equipment, a sum of $11M was sought, in addition to the sum of $15M voted in the national budget. Minister in the Ministry of Finance Jennifer Webster said that the sum is for the purchase of cameras to be used in the closed circuit television system to be installed around the city with a view to monitoring criminal activity.
A sum of $500,000 was sought by the Ministry of Agriculture for the provision of consultancy services, drainage and irrigation works, and procurement of four excavators for the Aurora Land Development Project. This is in addition to the $995M voted in the national budget for this purpose.
That ministry also sought a provision of $10M for the provision of assistance to farmers and households in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, who were affected by  La Nina weather conditions.
The sum of $522M was sought for the construction and rehabilitation of roads in urban areas in Georgetown and Linden. For the procurement of computers and related accessories for school computer laboratories countrywide, the Ministry of Education sought an additional $280M.
The Ministry of Housing and Water sought an allocation of $252M for the improvement of hinterland water supply. Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Alli said that this provision would be used to install photovoltaic systems, boreholes and water distribution networks. He said that the works are in addition to what was originally budgeted for.
On the provision sought for the new Wartsila sets, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn, representing the Prime Minister, said that of late demand for power has been outstripping supply, hence the need for increases in spending for generators.
Benn said government is looking towards moving from heavy fuel oil to light fuel oil generation. “We are seeking from parliament $3.8B as a loan to GPL from the government, another $4B will come from GPL’s own funds,” he said.
PNCR 1G Member of Parliament, E. Lance Carberry, believes GPL should better be able to forecast generation needs of the country and hence help in the government’s planning of purchase of equipment.