Five months after the government got approval for its $781.9 Billion budget, the Minister of Finance returned to the National Assembly on Thursday seeking additional money to support some more of the government’s projects.

The National Assembly has now approved $31 billion in supplementary funding for the Government.

Approximately $4.7B is intended to facilitate village-led investments in 240 Indigenous communities, and that  accounts for 15% of the revenues from the sale of carbon credits to HESS Corporation.

$26.5B will be used to facilitate climate adaptation and mitigation interventions outlined in Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh presented the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, seeking the additional funds.

Ahead of the approval, the main opposition – A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) – grilled the Government on the timing of the request, which was tabled in April, just three months after the budget was passed.

But a question by Opposition Member of Parliament, Volda Lawrence, on why the $4.7B for the Indigenous Communities was not included in the national budget, did not sit well with the Indigenous Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai.

“This money that is being transferred directly to indigenous villages has never happened before, and therefore, I want to say, that I do not expect from the other side any objections to additional financial resources for the investment and the improvement of the lives of the Indigenous people of this country that we would have an issue. And, therefore, I want to say that it is a legitimate, and a much-needed transfer,” Minister Sukhai said.

But MP Lawrence, fired back, telling the Committee of Supply, that there are strict rules governing the removal of funds from the Contingency Fund. It was pointed out that the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act of 2003, only permits the use of funds form the Contingency Fund in the case of an emergency or unforeseen circumstance.

“And here it is, you are coming to the House, six weeks after the budget and you are asking us, to approve in this House, an allocation of $4.7B, which is a 175% greater than the allocation that we gave to you in the budget,” MP Lawrence said, while asking the Indigenous Minister to state the unforeseen circumstances that led to the request.

Amerindian Affairs Minister, in response, challenged the Opposition to tell the Committee that the development of Indigenous People was not an emergency. But MP Lawrence, jumping to her feet once more, made it clear that it was a matter of transparency and accountability.

“The issue here on this side of the House, is not spending moneys on our people whether they are indigenous or not, it is about accountability, it is about transparency,” MP Lawrence said.

That issue aside, the Amerindian Affairs Minister told the Committee that a number of the villages have already received their funds. The population size of the villages determined the amount received.

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister explained that the $26.5B represents 85% of earnings from the sale of carbon credits, and will be used to climate adaptation and mitigation interventions outlined in LCDS 2030.

He explained further that administrative systems had to be put in place to facilitate the receipt of the funds.

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