$3.3B elections budget approved

Georgetown: The more than $3.3B proposed for elections funding for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was approved on Thursday in the National Assembly.

The Opposition Parliamentarians are staying away from the sittings until the ruling.

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, only last week presented a supplementary paper to the National Assembly asking for the $3.4B to cover expenses such as; fuel and lubricants $35.4M, rental of buildings $82M, transport, travel and postage $409.5M, utility charges $4M, other Goods and  Services $617M, other operating expenses $1.5B and education subventions and training $113.4M.

Minister Jordan told the house at the last sitting that the intention was for GECOM to have all the resources it needed in the event of General and Regional Elections which is constitutionally due in 2020.

At the 114th sitting of the National Assembly of the 11th Parliament, held on May 15, the following bills were passed; Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill 2019, National Accreditation Council (Amendment) Bill 2019, Customs and Trade Single Window System Bill 2019 and the Procurement [Amendment] Bill Number 2 of 2019.