Government pushes ahead and approves $54.9B supplementary budget amidst Opposition protest

Despite the loud protest in the National Assembly this afternoon over the deadly MV Barima ferry tragedy, the Government of Guyana used its majority to push through the $54.9 Billion supplementary budget which came less than six months after the passage of the $1.558 trillion national budget. It was explained that the supplementary budget covers just over $4.7 billion in current expenditure and another $50.14 billion in capital expenditure. The Ministry of Agriculture will receive $8.3 billion including $3 billion for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) within which is a provision for retroactive payments to workers at the entity. The supplementary budget also includes $807.5 million for the Guyana Rice Development Board and $4.5 billion for the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA)”, the statement said. A sum of $17.5 billion under the Ministry of Housing has been approved for that Ministry’s “accelerated” work programme. In this year’s budget, the Housing Ministry was allocated more than $159 Billion. The additional funding is to cater for the further expansion of the Government’s housing programme and other initiatives. A further $19.1 billion will go to the Office of the Prime Minister for additional resources such as those for the Government’s Gas-to-Energy Project, which has been delayed repeatedly, as its cost has also ballooned. The project is not expected to get off the ground for another several months. $8.5 billion has been approved for the Ministry of Public Works for additional resources to facilitate that Ministry’s work programme, including $6 billion for miscellaneous roads and drainage and $2.5 billion for hinterland roads. Additionally, a further $600 million has been allocated to the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation for the provision of additional resources to facilitate maintenance of coastal airstrips and $496.3 million to support water interventions including water filling stations. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also been allocated additional sums in the supplementary budget for the Customs Anti Narcotics Agency.