Georgetown : Even as the Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh, on Friday last during his Budget 2012 Presentation spoke of prudently managing the Guyana Economy, the 2012 Estimates leaves room for some US$16.5M ($3.4B) to be expended under the ever controversial Accounting Head of “OTHER”
The money referred to by this publication cite only the allocations for Central Government through its Ministries and excludes similar figures for the various Regional Administrations.
The monies referred to include allocations for the Ministry of Finance to the tune of some US$1.9M ($394,847,000) to be used for its Administrative arm as well as for its Government Accounting arm.
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has also been allocated a sizeable amount of the monies catered to be spent this year on “OTHER.”
GECOM has been allocated some US$5.7M ($1.2B) to be expended by the Commission and its Administrative arm under the accounting head of “OTHER”
Office of the President this year has been allocated some US$1M ($220,682,000).
This money for which Office of the President will expend under the Accounting head of “OTHER” has been divided amongst its Administrative Arm and its Presidential Advisory (Cabinet and Other Services) Department.
The Guyana Defence Force also commands a significant amount of the spending for which there has been numerous complaints as it relates to the vague nature of the allocation detailing how the monies are expected to be spent.
Some US$2.4M ($485,300,000) has been allocated to the Guyana Defence Force to be expended at its Headquarters under the Accounting Head of “OTHER.”
This trend of monies being allocated for “OTHER” has persisted over the years under Current Expenditure.
Current Expenditures, to the layman, refers to spending that have a recurring nature such as Telephone and Electricity Bills, Fuel and Maintenance.
Given the nature of recurrent expenditure, the size of the allocations set aside each year for “OTHER” has always been a bone of contention for the Opposition.
The opposition has long contended that the monies amount to ‘Carte Blanche’ expenditures.
‘Carte Blanche’ refers to “complete discretion or authority” “Unrestricted power to act at one's own discretion; unconditional authority” when it comes to the Budget Agency/Ministry’s use of the monies allocated.
Alliance for Change Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, today vowed that his party will be looking to “trim the fat” from the Budget and will be addressing the issue of “OTHER” with a surgical knife when the debates commence on Tuesday.
He decried the fact that some 20 years after preparing successive annual budgets the administration still sees it fit to allocate “billions for uncertainties” and said that it “is reflective of hidden spending which will amount to corruption.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.