House approves $2.9B supplementary budget for 2017

DPI, GUYANA, Friday, November 17, 2017

After a late night of interrogation, the House approved $2,976,237,426,000 supplementary current and capital estimates for the period January 1 to December 31, 2017.

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan moved the Financial Paper No 3/2017 in the House on Friday evening. The Committee of Supply considered just over twenty-line items before approving the estimates at 11:37 pm. The allocations outlined in the paper included:

• $100M to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for consultancy services on the border issue.
• A total of $171M for operationalisation required for Operations Cleansweep and Safeguard launched as a result of the June prison break.
• $147.3M for the Citizen Security Programme II. These sums include the payment for consultancy services and implementation of training programme for youths at risk among other things.
• $377.2M for the reconditioning of ferry vessels.
• $9.35M for the institutional strengthening of CTVET and NAC
• $200M for the HIV/TB/Malaria programmes to procure hardware and software to strengthen the Health Management Information System.
• $23.3M for the construction of drop-in centre at Sophia.
• $5.38M for purchase of equipment to facilitate improved diagnostic capacity of the West Demerara Regional Hospital.
• $14.84M to rehabilitate damaged bridges in Mipaparu, Yawong, Kawa and Tuseneng in Region Eight.

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan moved the three readings of the Supplementary Appropriation Bill No 3.2017 and was passed as printed.

A more detailed report on these allocations will follow subsequently.

 

By: Tiffny Rhodius