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Norton asked whether the house father was designated for Aishalton, where, according to him, there is currently no house father; but Sukhai advised him that the house father is designated for the Liliendaal students’ dormitory, and providing a house father at Aishalton is the responsibility of that region.
Norton noted an increase of $6M allocated for electricity charges, which the minister advised has resulted from the existence of a new dormitory.
And APNU’s Basil Williams asked how many persons would benefit from the $29M allocated for dietary supplies, to which the minister responded that the ministry caters for three full meals a day and two snacks for 120 students at the Liliendaal dormitory and 100 persons at the Amerindian residence.
APNU MP Dawn Hastings asked the minister for what the $7.520M under maintenance of buildings would be utilised, and the minister related that it would be used for the maintenance of the Amerindian residence in Princess Street, Georgetown, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs Head Office, and minor maintenance of the student dormitory at Liliendaal.
APNU MP Sydney Allicock noted the $76.6M allocated for training (including scholarships) and questioned who would benefit from this training, and what areas of training would be done. The minister said training and scholarship allocations are spent on hinterland students, but training for village councils was also catered for.
Allicock asked whether there existed a plan for training in the legal area, but Sukhai advised that the Amerindian Affairs Ministry caters for students under the age of 18. However, she stated that the ministry has recently been assisting with accommodating some university students who were experiencing difficulties in this regard.
APNU’s Desmond Trotman pointed to the $30M allocated for ‘Transport, Travel and Postage’, and asked about the specific nature of business taking place under this heading. He noted that last year $40M was requested under this heading, but only $25.8M was actually spent. He questioned why this year’s allocation is more than what was spent in 2012.
Minister Sukhai related that the ministry caters for the chartering of flights and the usage of the charter for flights to take ministry staff into areas where flights are necessary. She said that these activities are required to monitor presidential grants; take children home from various hinterland dormitories; and to provide, where necessary, flights to patients going in directions that require such.
She acknowledged that all the monies requested last year was not spent, but stated that the additional cost that will be incurred this year for staff to monitor the Community Development Plan, which should begin implementation in May this year, was included.
Trotman then requested that the minister lay before the House a breakdown of the actual expenses incurred for each specific activity in 2012, which she committed to doing.
APNU’s Jaipaul Sharma requested a breakdown of the $31M allocated under ‘National Events’. The minister readily provided this information, relating that $19M was allocated for heritage celebration; $1.5M for the Hope Amerindian Village Day; $1.5 to support regional village days; $500,000 to assist in staging North Rupununi Village Day; $1M for sport events, village expo, etc.; $3M for Mashramani celebrations; $300,000 for independence celebrations; $1M for the Rupununi Rodeo; $500,000 for the Rupununi Expo; $2M for Upper Mazaruni sports, and $700,000 for the Moruca Expo.
