Supplementary budget will tackle critical issues – Minister Teixeira
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Hon. Gail Teixeira has affirmed that the Government’s $23 billion supplementary budget will tackle critical issues facing the country.
Minister Teixeira made this statement during an interview with DPI on the side-lines of the 29th sitting of the National Assembly on Monday.
“We have to respond to newer situations that have arrived, and of course, in the supplementary, there is additional money for the vaccines. These are all critical issues. These are not frivolous issues, but issues that our country is confronting post budget.”
Part of the supplementary budget will be used for flood relief interventions, including repairs to infrastructure and supporting recovery in the productive sector. It will also facilitate payments of vaccine supplies and vaccine roll-out activities to mitigate transmission of COVID-19.
Further, the supplementary budget will finance key projects in the Ministries of Home Affairs, Agriculture, Public Works, Culture, Youth and Sports and Housing and Water.
Minister Teixeira was responding to criticisms from the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joseph Harmon who disagreed with the advance payment for the procurement of an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) to enhance to operational capabilities of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
“He is questioning the purpose of an ocean patrol vessel that can be used in our EEZ and it is totally absurd, and the budget and the laws allow us to introduce additional monies where required, for the use of the country and to ensure that we have the capacity to respond to different situations,” the Minister said.
Minister Teixeira said the Opposition is adopting an “antinational position” as the Government seeks to bring relief of those suffering from national crises.