-Finance Minister
AS the National Assembly convened yesterday to conclude the 2012 National Budget debate, paving the way for the consideration of the Estimates of Expenditure, Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh, responding to Opposition Member of Parliament Mrs. Volda Lawrence, said that the PPP/C Government is always willing to meet with and to receive from stakeholders, views expressed on matters of interest and national importance. “When the economic sub-committee established under the inter-parliamentary party dialogue forum last met, I indicated that government will be willing to consider any written submissions it received in relation to the budget…no such submissions were received subsequent to that invitation…we would be willing to meet with appointed representatives of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)  and the Alliance For Change (AFC) provided that the concerns alluded to by the Honourable Member (Mrs. Volda Lawrence) in her question are documented in advance to aid productive discussions, and,  provided that the schedule agreed to unanimously by the business sub-committee of the Committee of Supply agreed to only yesterday is adhered to in its entirety,” Minister Singh said.
This was in response to the question posited by the APNU MP who asked whether the Finance Minister would give consideration to meet with the representatives of APNU and AFC to address concerns regarding the 2012 estimates to provide for its smooth passage in the House.
In an invited comment, Minister Singh said that such concerns would have been documented in anticipation of such a discussion.
“I will say that one would imagine that given that the budget would have been in circulation for almost nearly three weeks now…given that we have been debating the budget now for more than one week, that one would expect that if they had any such concerns that they would have had them documented already…I am hopeful that if they are interested in having a meeting that they will submit these views that they have,” Minister Singh said.
He added that it would be extremely disappointing if the joint parliamentary Opposition were to stand up and say that they have concerns and issues and then prove to be unable to supply those in a documented fashion.
“ I certainly hope that this is not some delaying tactic or some other delaying strategy being used by the Opposition to put a spoke in the wheel with respect to parliamentary consideration of the budget…we are willing and available to meet, once they provide those concerns in a documented fashion in advance,” Minister Singh said.
Yesterday’s sitting of the National Assembly facilitated the closing presentations and a wrap up of the debate by the Finance Minister.
From today, the 2012 Estimates of Expenditure are scheduled to be addressed by sectors. (GINA)