NOW GOVT WANTS $2.3 B MORE

THE Rowley Government, which cannot account for $2.6 billion to the Auditor General for 2023, now wants an additional $2.3 billion for the current financial year.

The Government is going to Parliament for a supplementary sum to add to its $59.2 billion budget and to extend the towering national debt.

Of the $2,38.099,600 being sought, $155,677 will go to the Ministry of Works and Transport, an indication of extensive pre-general election infrastructural improvements.

A total of $527,800 is to be added to the Ministry of Public Utilities, another delivery portfolio.

The Government is seeking $495,286 for the Ministry of Health and $570,900 for the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries.

Additional funding of $95,027,500 is lined up for the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, which is also carrying out infrastructural works.

Parliament is further being asked to approve increased allocations to the Ministries of Education, Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Labour, Tourism, Culture and the Arts, and Foreign and Caricom Affairs.

A total of $50 million is earmarked for the Tobago House of Assembly and $4,140,000 for the Service Commissions.

There is no word on how the additional allocations will be funded.

At the presentation of the substantive budget last October, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said there would be a deficit of $5.2 billion.

Financial experts expect a larger shortfall because of lower tax revenues.

The Government has borrowed locally and internationally during the current fiscal year, to add to its previous debt.

Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass reported that large sums of taxpayers’ money were spent in the previous year without approval or lacking legislative support, in breach of policies, or through dubious transactions.

In at least one matter, a police report was lodged.

In some cases, there were no purchase orders, or the relevant contractor vanished, or various other financial violations took place.

Many commentators have denounced the financial wrongdoing and lack of accountability.

Now, the current budget is to be increased, making it one of the largest in recent years, even amid lower revenues and ongoing borrowings.