House approves 2018 estimates for constitutional agencies

Georgetown: The Committee of Supply approved a total of $8,057,837,000 for 16 constitutional agencies to form part of the public sector for 2018, at today’s sitting of the National Assembly.

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan said these allocations must not be viewed as cuts, “Rather these allocations take into account the economic outlook for 2018 for revenue, expenditure, and growth in the economy, challenges in implementation encountered in 2017 and annualisation of salaries.”

Outlined below are the agencies and their capital and current expenditure for 2018:

 

AGENCY               Budget 2017 + Supplementary Provision

(total G$’000)

Budget 2018 Request

(total G$’000)    Budget 2018 Approved

(total G$’000)

  1. Parliament Office 1,578,100             1,739,832             1,578,100
  2. Office of the Auditor General 754,910 844,422 783,816
  3. Public and Police Service Commission 91,603   158,709 95,140
  4. Teaching Service Commission 123,952 125,158 125,158
  5. Guyana Elections Commission 2,029,933             3,715,210             2,900,000
  6. Supreme Court 1,766,079             2,753,863             1,874,730
  7. Public Prosecutions 168,357 223,882 174,290
  8. Office of the Ombudsman 48,311   64,098   57,813
  9. Public Service Appellate Tribunal 35,052   105,550 51,884
  10. Ethnic Relations Commission 84,982 142,269 86,534
  11. Judicial Service Commission 10,020   10,020   10,020
  12. Indigenous People’s Commission 24,424 27,372   25,683
  13. Human Rights Commission 34,110   31,113   31,113
  14. Rights of the Child Commission 41,581 53,805   42,695
  15. Women and Gender Equality Commission 42,000   45,997   43,135
  16. Public Prosecution Commission 138,319 251,912 177,666

TOTAL   6,913,139             10,293,212           8,057,837

 

These lump sum resources are within the purview of the agencies and can be used flexibly, the Minister noted.

The constitutional agencies’ 2018 budget estimates come 10 days before Minister Jordan presents the 2018 National Budget to the House.