Georgetown : Government remains committed to its open door policy with regards to budgetary consultations; as through this mechanism, the constant exchange of views in enabled, and suggestions, issues, challenges and concerns are noted.
This was reiterated, to the Government Information Agency (GINA) by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh. The Minster made this statement in response to the political opposition parties’ refusal to meet with officials of the Finance Ministry for the afore-mentioned consultations.
It was pointed out that the consultation is in keeping with government’s policy to engage with various stakeholders, particularly with regards to shaping policy and for input on key issues.
“We are able to learn what their priorities are, we are able to explain issues and challenges so that they are better informed to formulate their own positions on issues,” Minister Singh stated.
The National Competitiveness Council which brings together the leadership of the private sector, organised labour and leading government officials, and is headed by the President, is an example of good consultation. The Multi Stakeholder Steering Committee of the Low Carbon Development Strategy was another such example named by the minister, “which again, brings together several stakeholders and ensures that they are kept informed on major developments, major projects, ensures that their input is provided in major initiatives and in the policy making function more generally”.
He said that it is in keeping with government’s policy that invitations have been extended to the two parliamentary political parties, the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), but despite several calls for consultations, there appears to be no real interest to engage on the matter of Budget 2014 from politicians from the opposing side of the National Assembly.
“The door is always open, there must be no doubt in their minds about that, and there must be no doubt in the minds of the people of Guyana that the Government of Guyana is open, willing and ready to meet with the opposition at any time on the matter of Budget 2014, indeed on any matter of national importance but more particularly on Budget 2014. That must be made crystal clear”.
The Finance Minister said that he is optimistic that there will be a re-think within the ranks of the opposition. “I don’t get the sense that Greenidge’s position enjoys widespread support in the opposition. I believe that there are some in the opposition who would like to see these consultations happen, but I don’t know what the hierarchical structures are in the opposition, where the authority resides and who really enjoys the right to issue instructions to whom… I do get the clear and distinct impression that there is, at least within some quarters of the opposition that there is an interest in engaging with us,” he reiterated.
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