–$44B in supplementary funding being sought for key projects, support services  

OVER $44 billion in supplementary funding for capital and current expenses is being requested by the government to address issues in drainage and irrigation, housing development, furniture for schools, and development in Amerindian and hinterland communities among other issues.

The supplementary provision was presented by Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh when Parliament reconvened at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Thursday.

“This represents a very important approach to Parliament to secure additional finances to advance economic and social development in the country. Each one of those allocations goes to the core of the well-being of people, and will impact, in a positive way, the lives of Guyanese people. The interventions are all consistent with our social and economic goal, which is aimed at improving the lives of all kinds,” Dr. Singh related.

The paper also includes funding for a number of other emergency projects, particularly those under the Ministries of Education, Agriculture and Health. “For example, there is additional support to the Ministry of Agriculture for drainage and irrigation, and the extension of the black belly sheep project; there is also a supplementary for the Ministry of Health to facilitate the Mount Sinai arrangement, and there’s a supplementary for the Ministry of Education to ensure that we’re able to achieve full coverage of school furniture. It’s a wide range of interventions; those are just some,” Dr. Singh explained.

With an allocation of $21.050 billion, all in capital spending, the Ministry of Housing and Water has the largest provision in the supplementary funding. The provision is considered necessary to support land acquisition, and supporting infrastructure as the government rolls out its aggressive housing programme. The government is seeking to allocate some 50,000 house lots in five years.

AGGRESSIVE HOUSING PROGRAMME
“We have an extremely aggressive housing programme to roll out of housing schemes. We have to allocate lands, first of all, and then build out the infrastructure. And that, of course, includes a few roads and so forth.

Additionally, we’re also committed to improving the coverage of our water system, and expand access to treated water. That includes, in some cases, the sinking of new wells, replacement of wells, and the construction of treatment plants and so on,” Dr. Singh explained.

The money allocated for the improvement of water includes $250 million for the completion of water supply interventions in hinterland areas, and $4.231 billion for additional resources to increase treated water coverage.
The request also caters for the improvement and expansion of water supply systems in underserved and unserved areas, and for the upgrading of water treatment plants in Linden, and the drilling of wells.

Another $660 million will go to additional resources to address the replacement of aging and deteriorated pipelines in Georgetown.
The budget also includes the much anticipated $3.116 billion to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, which will be used to provide for additional resources to support development in Amerindian communities. This provision emanated from developmental initiatives that came out of the National Toshao Council (NTC) Conference, which was held last week.

FOOD SECURITY AGENDA
Under the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), some $3.581 billion has been allocated for current expenditure, and another $1.908 billion for capital expenditure. This includes $40 million to promote the food security agenda that the government is currently pushing to increase production of agricultural products locally, as well as $177.752 million for the black belly sheep project.

Also under the MoA, the $3.541 billion in operational expenses includes $2 billion for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), $1.278 billion for the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), $44.142 million for the Guyana Livestock and Development Authority (GLDA), and $218.8 million for the MMA/ADA.

The capital expenditure also includes $1.431 billion in additional resources to support the sugar industry, and $300 million for additional resources to promote initiatives such as support for fisherfolk.

The Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) is requesting $4.439 billion in supplementary funding, of which sum $3 billion is to support additional resources to facilitate the upgrading of roads and drains in various communities. Some $550 million is for critical sea and river defence works, including addressing areas of erosion along the Mahaicony shoreline.

The Ministry of Finance is asking for $6.1 billion to cover $4 billion towards the payment of electricity arrears to Guyana Power and Light (GPL), as well as another $2.059 billion to fund the census activities of the Bureau of Statistics.

Other agencies covered in the supplementary funding include the Ministries of Culture, Youth and Sports, Public Service, Human Services and Social Security, and Local Government and Regional Development. Also included is the Office of the Prime Minister, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), and Regions One (Barima-Waini), Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

Dr. Singh noted that he is looking forward to seeing the request for funding receiving large support, given the kind of development it covers.
“I am fully confident about the merits of every one of those allocations, and I’m hopeful that the Opposition will see the merit in each one of these proposals. And I hope that they will vote in favour of this financing,” Dr. Singh said.