Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner may be the only opposition MP to do the duty of probing the Government on the re-arrangement of its 2015 Budgetary funds - being done in Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee meeting tomorrow - since the Opposition People’s National Movement is so far non-committal on attending that meeting.
At last Friday’s Lower House session, Finance Minister Larry Howai announced that the Standing Finance Committee would meet tomorrow.
Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Vasant Bharath, said tomorrow’s SFC meeting is being held to vary expenditure from one ministry area to another in line with Government’s mandate to suppress expenditure following the oil price drop recently.
He made it clear the meeting was not being held to get additional funding for the 2014- 015 Budget of $68 billion. He said in order to move money from one ministry to another, this had to be done by Standing Committee deliberation.
Bharath also denied yesterday’s Trinidad Express story that the Government was holding the Finance Committee meeting solely to get money to pay for T&T Coast Guard vessels. He also denied the report that Government had accepted one vessel without having the money for its downpayment.
“We have money for the downpayment,” he said.
SFC sessions deliberate on variations of expenditure or additions to the Budget. Committee meetings afford the Opposition an opportunity to scrutinise and get more clarification on government spending and to “grill” government on this to ensure transparency and accountability.
When the first meeting was held last September on the current Budget, the PNM had thoroughly grilled the Government on the Budget contents over three days of SFC meetings. But PNM MPs are currently boycotting the Parliament following suspension of leader Dr Keith Rowley. They returned to Parliament a couple weeks ago to debate a PNM motion on the day Opposition business was scheduled, but have subsequently remained out of the House.
At a media briefing yesterday, the PNM stated it would continue to discharge its responsibility to the people and since it felt the Government was “conducting an election campaign” in Parliament, it would respond as it saw fit and decide where and when to join Parliamentary activities.
Warner, who missed last Wednesday’s Lower House sitting due to his extradition court matter over charges brought by the US authorities on Fifa matters, attended last Friday’s Lower House session. Regarding Wednesday’s Standing Finance meeting, Warner said yesterday: “I will be there (Parliament) most definitely to defend the people and Treasury of T&T and I am not overawed by the numerical strength from the other side, nor even their insults as have been continuously displayed by the member for Oropouche East, Dr Roodal Moonilal.”
Meanwhile, committee stage deliberations continue in the Senate today on the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill which provides for a comprehensive overhaul of current legislation.