Parliament approves Constitutional Agencies’ Budgets

The Budgets for all ConstitutionalAgencies were on Monday approvedintheNationalAssembly after an examination of the Estimates of Expenditure and queries by Opposition Members with responses provided by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira during the 59th Sitting of the TwelfthParliament.

The Agencies comprise the Parliament Office,Audit Office of Guyana, Public and Police Service Commissions, Teaching Service Commission (TSC), the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Supreme Court of Judicature, Public Prosecutions, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Public Service Appellate Tribunal, the Ethnic Relations Commission, (ERC), the Judicial Service Commission, (JSC) the Rights Commissions of Guyana and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC).

Theprocessforapprovalofthe estimates of expenditure of these agencies continued smoothly as it had in 2022 following the December 29, 2021 Parliamentary approvaloftheFiscalManagement and Accountability Amendment successfully piloted at the time by Senior Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singhduringthe34thSittingofthe TwelfthParliament.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira explained that though the monies were allocated to some agenciesinthemillionssuchasthe Public Service Tribunal and the JudicialServiceCommission,these commissions are not in place. The Commissions have not been constituted but the agencies are validlyinplace. Shenotedthatthe monies were budgeted because there are efforts underway to have thenon-existentcommissionssuch astheJSCandERCinplaceinshort order The legislation was amended from what it was previouslyduringthetenureofthe APartnershipforNationalUnity+ A l l i a n c e F o r C h a n g e (APNU+AFC) Administration and has since strengthened and streamlinedtheBudgetprocessfor these Constitutional Agencies while also preserving their independence. Amendmentsmade to the previous legislation include those that were made to ensure better accountability and set out the practice and procedure to which these Constitutional Agencies must conform in terms of the management of their subventions for the efficient dischargeoftheirfunctions.

Last week, both sides of the House participated in five days of debatesonthe2023Budgetwhich was presented to the National Assembly on January 16, by SeniorMinisterintheOfficeofthe President with Responsibility for FinanceDr AshniSingh.

During his presentation, Dr Singh reminded that key and critical Constitutional bodies that are part of the architecture of constitutional governance are appointedandfunctioning,suchas the Audit Office of Guyana, the Supreme Court, the Office of the DirectorofPublicProsecutions,the Public ServiceAppellate Tribunal, the Ombudsman, and the Guyana ElectionsCommission.

He added that “In 2022, Constitutional agencies inclusive of the Public Procurement Commission, Police Service Commission, and most recently in January2023,theTeachingService Commission have been appointed. He pointed out further that ‘Notably, the consultative process with civil society organisations for nominationstotheEthnicRelations Commission and the Women and Gender Equality Commission has beencompleted”. He added further that the approvaloftheNationalAssembly is anticipated shortly after the budgetisadopted.

Dr Singh emphasized during hispresentationaswellonJanuary 16 last that “the work to complete theRightsoftheChildCommission and the Indigenous People’s Commission should be completed by mid-year” while issues surroundingtheappointmentofthe long-overdue Judicial Service Commission are on public record despite efforts by His Excellency the President to bring this to conclusionin2022.

He added further then that “the process for concluding the nominees to the Public Service Commission is in progress at the Committee of Appointment”

In relation to the Guyana

Elections Commission (GECOM), this year’s Budget provides for an additional sum to cater for Local Government Elections and this was explained by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira following queries today about the additional allocation for the Constitutionalbody

“ the upcoming local government elections will serve as a reminder of our Government’s commitment to good governance and transparency across every community,andwillprovidemuch needed renewal to the local governmentsystem,”Dr Singhhad said during his 2023 Budget presentation.

The$781.9BillionBudgetwas presented under the theme “Improving Lives Today, Building ProsperityforTomorrow’.