Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall

– salaries of other officials axed from OP budget

In its quest to cut funding for the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA), the Opposition used its one-seat majority in the National Assembly to disapprove $5.1 billion budgeted for the Office of the President (OP). For the first time in Guyana’s history, the OP will have no money to facilitate administrative services or capital projects.

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) had first slashed $1.335 billion for current Administrative Services budgeted under the OP after Government, in their estimation, did not adequately justify why NCN and GINA were subsidised in 2013 when the House had disapproved funding.

Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira

They subsequently voted against $3.846 billion allocated for capital projects taking the total disapproved funds to $5.182 billion, out of a grand total of $6.078 billion budgeted for the OP. However, APNU and the AFC did not object to the $830.3 million for Presidential Advisory services (Cabinet and other services) and $65.1 million for Defence and National Security, which were also budgeted under the Office of the President.

Under the chairmanship of Speaker Raphael Trotman, APNU Member of Parliament (MP) Christopher Jones asked why GINA and NCN received $135.8 million and $81.3 million respectively when the National Assembly had reduced their subsidies to $1 each in 2013.

In response, Minister within the Finance Ministry, Bishop Juan Edghill said: “Mr Chairman, we relied and were guided by the Chief Justice’s ruling.” But this was an answer the Opposition was not willing to accept. APNU Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge said MPs are guided by the Constitution which orders the National Assembly to approve expenditure from the Consolidated Fund.

AFC MP Cathy Hughes grilling Minister Edghill during Tuesday’s consideration of the budget

“I am not aware that in the Chief Justice’s decision anywhere he has appropriated for himself, authorisation to spend. He cannot himself, as far as I am aware, authorise the House to spend any monies whatsoever,” Greenidge told the Committee of Supply.

In defence of Government’s action, Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Anil Nandlall told the Committee of Supply that he had offered his legal opinion on whether the slashed funds could have been restored following a request by the Cabinet. Referencing Article 218:3 of the Constitution, the Attorney General told the Committee of Supply that the Finance Minister has the powers to do two things: one, solicit monies from the Consolidated Fund by tabling a Supplementary Provision or submit to the National Assembly a Statement of Excess detailing how those monies have been spent.

Statement of Excess

“I am aware that, the Statement of Excess has been presented in relation to wherever there was a restoration of the monies cut…,” the AG added.

Greenidge, in response, denied having knowledge that Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh had tabled a Statement of Excess. He further told his colleagues on both sides that the Constitution does not allow for monies to be used from the Consolidated Fund without approval from the House.

He said, too, that such was conditional on matters being urgent, arguing that by no means the payment of wages and salaries could be deemed urgent.

“Given the unconstitutional action by the Government, given the fact that a figure is shown in these estimates which was not approved by the House, we are not going to approve this item at all. And if that has consequences to the approval of the head as a whole, so let it be,” Greenidge said. He had set the tone for the Opposition.

But before voting on the current expenditure for Administrative Services, AFC MP Cathy Hughes, along with her colleagues, capitalised on the opportunity to bombard Edghill with a flurry of questions on the financial affairs of NCN and GINA. While Edghill has pledged to provide financial details and other information on GINA, he gave members a breakdown of the spending of the $134 million given to the entity in 2013.

Wages

For the 39 employees attached to the agency, wages and salaries accounted for $77.8 million. Edghill noted that this year Government was asking for $79.6 million to cater for a five per cent increase. Under other charges, $58 million was used, with $60 million being sought this year.

He also disclosed that the Auditor General has submitted the 2004-2007 Auditor’s report, noting that the audit for 2008 is currently being done. However, he added, that all the financial reports for the Information Agency have been submitted to the Auditor General’s Office.

Meanwhile, the disapproval would affect the salaries of top OP officials including Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira who earns over $1 million monthly and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon who gets $983,000.

Guyana Times was told that Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall also earns over $1.5 million per month. While his salary details and that of several other ministers did not feature during the budget consideration thus far, reports are that this might be done soon.

Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Bishop, Juan Edghill who provided the information also disclosed that the lowest paid worker at OP is a typist clerk earns a salary of $43,000.  Back in 2010, Teixeira earned a monthly salary of $800,969 and by 2012 it had reportedly increased to $967,985.  In the top ten, the Presidential Advisor on Governance is followed by Dr Luncheon.

The Presidential Advisor on Youth Empowerment, Odinga Lumumba receives a salary of $735,553.  The Director General of the Civil Defence Commission Ret’d Chabilall Ramsarup has a monthly salary of $728, 887 while the Presidential Advisor on Sport Neil Kumar is paid $721, 000. He is followed by the Divisional Head $648, 402, the Senior Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet $552,333; Coordinator of Public Information $551, 214; Administrator $525, 000 and Advisor on Sustainable Development, Navin Chandarpal $496, 125.

Turning his attention to NCN, Edghill, after being grilled, told the Committee that in 2013, the state broadcaster earned $476.6 million. Coupled with the subvention, NCN received $557 million. NCN has a staff complement of 236 – 177 permanent workers and 59 temporary workers. But despite the Minister’s attempt to justify the spending, the Opposition moved ahead with its decision to vote against monies for the OP.

It subsequently voted against the $3.8 million budgeted for capital projects. AFC MP Moses Nagamootoo questioned why the Government did not delink NCN and GINA from important items, given the concerns the Opposition has with regard to the entities and the “use of taxpayers’ money to fund these entities for partisan political purposes”.