Georgetown: As part of the new administration’s strategy to ensure a well-governed Guyana, President David Granger has outlined plans that will soon engender institutional, political, and institutional autonomy for several aspects of governance.
Speaking during his address at the ceremonial opening of the 11th Parliament today, first off the Head of State said that his administration will reaffirm the integrity and autonomy of the National Assembly so as to ensure financial independence.
“We have seen how a subservient National Assembly could become a bane rather than a boom to democracy; our governance policy reflects the Commonwealth (Latimer House) Principles on the Three Branches of Government endorsed by the Commonwealth Heads of Government.”
Among those principles, the President said, a professional staff, independent of the regular public service, should service the Parliament. “We intend to ensure that the 11th Parliament is equipped with its own Budget Office and its own Parliamentary Counsel based right here in the Parliament.”
In addition, the President said his government will also bring forward legislation to secure strong and lasting constitutional reforms and to guarantee good governance.
Some of these legislations will include the: Constitution (Amendment) Bill, to amend the Constitution of Guyana to add certain entities, such as the Service Commissions and the Guyana Elections Commission, that ought to enjoy financial autonomy as Constitutional Agencies.
There will also be the establishment of an Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly Bill, which will ensure an independent office of the Clerk of the National Assembly that would allow greater independence in the appointment of all staff of the Parliament Office.
“Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Bill, to ensure that certain entities enjoy financial independence, to free them from executive interference with their budgetary allocations,” President Granger stated.
Further Former Presidents’ Benefits and Other Facilities Bill to cap benefits, including tax-free concessions and to specify some conditions under which the benefits are to be enjoyed, will also be looked into.
Constitutional Offices’ Commission Bill to periodically review salaries, pensions and other conditions for persons appointed to constitutional offices, including Members of the National Assembly and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill to curb money-laundering and the contraband trade will also be given priority.
Other bills to be tabled are: Telecommunications Bill, to provide a new regime for a liberalised and competitive telecommunications sector ; Public Utilities Commission (Amendment) Bill, to allow equal treatment to all investors in this sector and to ensure better service quality to consumers; Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill to allow greater independence to the National Broadcasting Authority and to ensure standards of fairness, balance and accuracy on matters of public interest, and Local Government (Amendment) Bill to allow the setting of the date for local government elections, which were last held in 1994.
President Granger said his government will adhere to an empowerment policy that regularly renews local democracy by ensuring that local government elections are held, as is stipulated in the Constitution.
“We shall fortify grassroots democracy by ensuring that local residents are allowed to play a greater role in managing their towns and villages. We shall, introduce legislation to upgrade the four hinterland regional administrative centres – Bartica, Mahdia, Mabaruma and Lethem – to township status with their own mayors and town councils.”
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