— but not before Opposition MPs create disturbance, leave National Assembly over unsubstantiated allegations
— Dr. Singh disappointed full scrutiny was absent, but says implementation of measures must begin

AN unavoidable deviation from the natural course of operations in the National Assembly, due to the behaviour of the Parliamentary Opposition and their subsequent exit from the House, has resulted in the Government’s proposed $383.1 billion Budget 2021 being approved with little scrutiny, clearing the way for the implementation of measures which are expected to reignite the economy and lay a foundation for economic ascension.
Motivated by an unsubstantiated claim that Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, assaulted Opposition Parliamentarian, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition Members of Parliament (MPs) resorted to unwarranted noise and rebellion in an effort to inspire the removal of the minister from the House.

Despite being advised by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, that they could table a motion, which would have to be debated on before a decision is made, the Coalition parliamentarians persisted with their obstructive actions, on Thursday.
This action persisted even after the sitting was suspended for an hour. But the Speaker, after advising the Coalition again to no avail, went ahead with the proceedings amidst the loud chants of ‘no’ and pounding on desks by Opposition parliamentarians.

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, believes that the actions of the Coalition are connected directly to a pending court case, in which the APNU+AFC is challenging the amendments made recently to the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act.
“They are contending that those amendments are unconstitutional… they also have an application within that case that seeks a conservatory order which is a kin to an injunction, restraining the Speaker [of the National Assembly] from proceeding to consider the budget estimates of constitutional agencies,” the Attorney-General explained.
That matter is fixed for hearing today, so Nandlall believes that the Coalition parliamentarians deliberately tried to derail the process until the matter is heard and ruled on.

ALLEGATIONS CONCOCTED
His firm belief is that the allegation against Minister McCoy was concocted to allow the injunction to be heard, so that they could potentially stop the consideration of the budgetary estimates.
Despite the Coalition’s relentless efforts to have their way, the assembly was converted to the Committee of Supply and the noise was ignored as the Government members proceeded to first consider the estimates for the Constitutional agencies, which were initially due for consideration on Wednesday, when the same allegation forced an early suspension of the sitting.
Aside from having to delay the proceedings to suspend some of the Coalition MPs for utilising a recording device in the House, an act that is prohibited, the Speaker read agency by agency unhindered, despite giving the rowdy opposition Parliamentarians an opportunity to pitch their queries.

With the Coalition Parliamentarians opting, in the end, to withdraw themselves completely from the process, the committee moved swiftly through the consideration of the estimates before reverting to the assembly and passing the Appropriation Bill for 2021.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, while being satisfied that the budget was passed expeditiously and ahead of time, said he is disappointed that there was no detailed consideration of the budget estimates.
“The budget is the most important thing in the parliamentary calendar… so I am disappointed that they chose to try to delay and stymie the budget consideration process and ultimately withdraw…I want to say that this is an extremely disappointing position they adopted for many reasons.

“The budget is literally the amalgamation of policy, projects, initiatives and so on, and detailed consideration is important… subjecting it to scrutiny and analysis is essential to parliamentary and public understanding of the budget,” Dr. Singh said during a press briefing following the passage of the budget.
Although he would have been disappointed in the Coalition’s decision, the senior minister held the firm view that the Opposition parliamentarians were trying to frustrate and derail the approval of the budget.

DISTURBING
“This is disturbing because it [the budget] contains initiatives intended to improve lives and contribute to development… any attempt to frustrate, delay or derail the approval of the budget is an attempt to frustrate development and the implementation of the initiatives contained here,” Dr. Singh reasoned, adding: “There are investments contained there for roads, schools, medical centres, and so on, all intended to not only deliver services and quality of life, but generate economic activity, create jobs and increase income.”
It is for this reason that the minister said his disappointment extends beyond the lack of scrutiny for Budget 2021 to the Coalition’s attempt to delay the delivery of benefits to the people of Guyana.

In further highlighting the importance of the budget, he said: “There is a lot that is positive, it has a number of important initiatives… it is literally investing in every sector, roads, bridges, airstrips, delivery of health, delivery of quality education services, increases of direct benefits, old age pension, public assistance… it is about all of these elements.
“There is a lot that is positive, it has a lot of initiatives that will help us to navigate the pandemic safely and keep the economy afloat, which is what budget 2020 initiated and what 2021 seeks to build on.”

The 2021 Budget is anticipated to serve as a catalyst for development, driving the recovery of an economy affected heavily by the pervasive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and a protracted electoral process.
The budget’s immediate aim is to keep the population safe from the pandemic, containing further spread, treating those who are infected, providing vaccines as soon as they become available, and reopening the economy progressively, and then fully when it is safe to do so.
While protecting the nation is the primary objective, the budget is also aimed at ensuring that there’s a diversified and resilient productive sector by facilitating large-scale private investment in both traditional and new and emerging sectors, creating 50,000 jobs in the next five years, and promoting entrepreneurship at the medium and small-business level.

Budget 2021 will also initiate investments in catalytic and transformative infrastructure, including energy infrastructure to ensure adequate supply at a competitive cost, and transport infrastructure to improve international connectivity, and unleash domestic production and productivity.
“We will be establishing world-class social services such as education and healthcare, so that these services are available to the domestic population, but also with a view to entering the international market for providing these services to a regional and global clientele.

“Attention will also be placed on improving the quality of public services, and creating a conducive environment for doing business and interacting with government, including by deploying technology-based solutions, as well as reducing bureaucracy and red tape,” Dr. Singh said during the presentation of the budget in February.
All of this will be done with respect for the Constitution and the rule of law, maintaining good governance, safeguarding access to justice, and the preservation of a safe and secure environment for all Guyanese and visitors to Guyana.
With the budget being approved by the House, Dr. Singh said the priority now has to be on ensuring that budget agencies proceed to implement the initiatives and projects in a timely and effective manner.