$3b increase for budget
Richard Lord richardlord@trinidadexpress.com
Saturday, June 11th 2005
GOVERNMENT yesterday moved to increase the record $27 billion 2005/2006 Budget by more than $3 billion.
The proposed increase is contained in the Finance (Supplementation and Variation of Appropriation) Bill 2005, which was presented by Minister in the Ministry of Finance Conrad Enill in the House of Representatives yesterday.
The legislation provides for increases of more than $650 million to the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries; $419 million to the Ministry of Health; $416 million to Works and Transport; $348 to Finance; $239 million to Local Government and more than $160 million to National Security.
The smallest increase went to the Ministry of Social Development-$875,000.
The Bill provides for a $15 million decrease to the Ministry of Trade and $110,000 from the Industrial Court.
Meanwhile, at a meeting of the Finance Committee on Wednesday, approval was granted for the write-off of losses totalling $346,391.31 for the year 2004. A breakdown lists the Tobago House of Assembly for overpayment of salary in the sum of $41,803.67; Ministry of Education for overpayment of salary in the sum of $119,172.71; Ministry of Health for overpayment of upkeep allowance in the sum of $48,149.44; and Ministry of Works and Transport for fraud in the sum of $137,265.49.
In presenting the legislation, Enill dismissed claims by some in the society who would suggest that Government was "spending at a level that is unsustainable".
But former finance minister Gerald Yetming, in his response, was very critical of the move, describing it as "madness".
He said that while some increases might appear justified, there was nothing to show that the population was benefiting from the expenditure.
"When, on this supplementary (Bill) of $3 billion we go line by line, each line when you look at it in isolation looks reasonable, it makes sense; but looked at from a more critical perspective, looked at from the overall, there is absolute madness going on in this country with the people's money."
Yetming also slammed the Government for its attitude of seeking to "mash up" everything. He said the Government has mashed up Caroni (1975) Ltd, National Broadcasting Network (NBN), the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and other institutions in this country.