..prepares budget proposal without Council’s input
..Regional Chairman registers concern with Finance Minister, President Ali
By Svetlana Marshall
Regional Chairman of Region Four, Daniel Seeram has accused his Regional Administration of sidelining the Council in the preparation of the 2021 Regional Budget Proposal by leaving out the input and contributions of the elected body.
In registering his concern with Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh on Tuesday, Seeram explained that the Regional Budget was prepared and submitted to the Regional Democratic Council without the input of the projects and activities prioritised and submitted by the Council.
“There was an attempt to have the Regional Chairman and the Regional Vice Chairman to sign the proposed 2021 Regional Budget on Thursday, 31 December 2020 without the involvement of the Council,” the Regional Chairman told the Finance Minister, in a letter, which was also copied to President Irfaan Ali.
Seeram also informed Central Government that given the circumstances, the Regional Finance Committee has taken a decision to reject the budget proposal submitted by the Regional Administration headed by the Regional Executive Officer (REO) Deryck Persaud.
“Upon perusal of the proposed 2021 Regional Budget on 31st December 2020 by the members of the Finance Committee, a unanimous decision was taken that the budget does not represent the vision put forward by the council for Region #4,” the Regional Chairman said.
During a special meeting of the full council on Monday, January 4, 2020, Seeram said it was discovered that while the education, health and agriculture programmes were “somewhat” acceptable, the proposals for the public works, and finance and administration programme areas leave much to be desired.
“The programme heads for Public Works, and Finance & Administration, upon scrutiny by the Council further informed that instructions were received from central government to have included in their specific proposed budgets certain programmes and activities, instead of programmes and activities prioritised by the Council that would exhibit exponential growth in 2021,” Seeram said as he expressed his concern.
He added: “the projects and activities prioritised by the Council would have been successfully executed in 2020 and would have demanded expansion in 2021 for further regional development, relief to all citizens, considerations for advancements in all regional sectors and in keeping with the recovery measures needed as described in H.E the President’s New Year’s address.”
The Regional Chairman said the contravention took place notwithstanding the fact that the Council submitted its proposals in a timely manner and after meaningful consultations with communities and constituents throughout the region.
The Regional Democratic Council is therefore urging that there be meaningful consultations and for the region’s budget to reflect the needs of the people as proposed by their elected leaders.
In a separate letter to the REO on Tuesday, the Regional Chairman expressed his displeasure that an attempt was made to have the proposal signed off by his Office though the Council’s inputs were excluded.
The Regional Chairman, in registering the Council’s dissatisfaction, reminded the REO of his instruction to have the budget proposal reviewed.
