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Recently appointed Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Sonia Parag refused to disclose budgetary sums allocated to the building of markets and subventions budgeted to municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC), during the scrutiny of the national estimates.
Guyana’s biggest budget ever stands in 2024 at 1.146 trillion dollars. Its estimates are being thoroughly interrogated by the Parliamentary Opposition in the National Assembly, currently Sitting at the Arthur Chung Convention Center, Liliendaal.
During rigorous questioning by the Shadow Minister for the portfolio, Ganesh Mahipaul, Minister Parag was asked several times for the figures. Minister Parag proceeded to speak on the “visionary leadership” of President Irfaan Ali among other unrelated issues while negating the information required.
“This same line item has in it, this year, for consideration for the further development and enhancement of our markets across the country, and this year we see Charity Suddie, Leonora, Hydroni, Mon Repos, and Kumaka being budgeted for. Would the honorable minister be kind enough to provide us with a disaggregation as to the sum that is allocated to each one of these markets.”
After one such request, the Minister responded, “I have answered this question that has been put to me five times, and I have answered all five times, and I have exhausted my answers.”
The Minister ultimately would only give the figures for two markets. On the request for the sums in subvention to Guyana’s townships and NDCs. Minister Parag responded, “I think, Honorable Member, in time to come, you will know how much they have.”
