OPPOSITION Parliamentarians have argued that a reduction in the budget for the Legal Aid Clinic could affect women because the services are usually utilised by them.
Provisions for the clinic fell from $116,817,000 in the 2017 budget to $101,887,000 for next year’s budget.

There was an exchange of thoughts from both Opposition and Government sides during the consideration of the 2018 budget at the level of the Committee of Supply on Thursday.
Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Priya Manickchand was the first person to point out that the allocation, which is found in the budget for of the Ministry of Social Protection, would not be sufficient, especially because a number of women who cannot afford legal aid usually turn to the clinic for assistance.

Guyana Legal Aid Clinic (formerly Georgetown Legal Aid Clinic) is a non-governmental, non-profit making, non-partisan organisation that provides legal aid to persons who cannot afford to employ the services of a member of the private bar.
According to its website, the clinic has since it opened its doors, assisted over 17,000 people, the majority of them women, to vindicate and protect their rights under the Guyana justice system.

One of clinic’s objectives is to provide subsidised or free professional assistance to persons who are faced with either criminal cases, civil disputes or the need for legal advice; are in danger of having their rights infringed or other legal needs unmet because of poverty and lack of means.

The allocation for the clinic was part of the ministry’s Social Services programme under line item, subsidies and contributions to local organisations. The general allocation for that line item was reduced from $116,817,000 in 2017 to $101,887,000 for next year.
Opposition MP, Vindhya Persaud joined her colleague Manickchand to highlight the decrease in that aspect of the ministry’s budget. Persaud believes that the decrease in the line item can affect the entire country and persons who access the clinic.

In defence of the ministry’s budget, Subject Minister, Amna Ally said it will not affect the regions because if the need arises, the Government will apply for supplementary funds.
“Whilst the reduction will not affect the work of the clinic. She noted if however the $41M allotted to the clinic is exhausted, there is an avenue (once it is justified) in which a request can be made for additional funding,” said the minister.

The ministry’s budget of $16,586,880,000 for current works and $401,257,000 for capital expenditure were later approved by the Committee of Supply.
Other allocations under the budget included $10M each to fund a country gender assessment and the preparation of a social protection strategy. Minister Ally explained that the assessment will examine gender inequalities in the education system with special emphasis on the under-achievement of boys.

The sum of $6.6M will provide for the construction of a fire escape at the Palms Geriatric Institution, while $20M will cover the procurement of equipment and furniture for the geriatric facility and $16.5M the purchase of buses for the Palms and New Opportunity Corps.

A total of $144M has been allocated for the completion of the Drop-in-Centre at Sophia. Another $9.5M will be used for the purchase of a vehicle for Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) and $12M for the purchase of furniture and equipment for Child Care Secretariat, district officers’ quarters and care centres.