The Standing Finance Committee of Parliament meets to approve some 3.1 Billion dollars to meet the country's expenses until the end of the fiscal year.
00:00At its first bite at the fiscal cherry, the UNC government is requesting an additional $3.143 billion to meet the country's expenses until the end of the fiscal year.
00:13This will take the 2025 budget from $59.741 billion to $62.884 billion.
00:23And this is because of the fiscal, financial recklessness and free-for-all undertaken by the former government where they were spending money without planning and spending without making proper payment arrangements.
00:38As a result of that, we have had a crash of the economy.
00:41The office of the president needs $1 million additionally to meet the cost of operational expenses.
00:47How is the new government going to finance this additional, please, I'm responding to what the minister said.
00:57How is the government going to finance this supplementation of $1 million in this particular item?
01:03And two, is this supplementation necessary because the office of the president may have vired or transferred funds,
01:17well, in this particular case, this is recurrent, vired funds from these items for other purposes such as overseas travel?
01:24The finance minister said the members will have to wait for the mid-year review to find out how appropriations will be financed.
01:32But yes, he said, monies had to be moved to fund changes in the coat of arms.
01:38The total allocation was initially utilized for the changes of the coat of arms on president's standards, penance and licenses,
01:45plates for the official vehicles, along with the purchasing of replacements for public service medals, gold, silver and bronze,
01:52which bear the coat of arms for the national awards, and for the purchasing of ink for the printers at OTP.
01:59Parliament will receive an additional $27.988 million, some of which is for back pay to MPs.
02:08Former finance minister Colm Inbert insisted that was only for UNC MPs.
02:14This has nothing to do with persons who are on this side at this point in time.
02:21This deals with members of parliament in the previous parliament,
02:25and is the minister saying that he's unaware that this item is for him to get back pay.
02:32It was also revealed some $750,000 was expended on the ceremonial opening of parliament.
02:39The prime minister's office requires $128 million more to get to the end of the fiscal year.
02:47This includes monies to ensure emoluments are in alliance with the most recent SRC's report,
02:53and funds to meet shortfalls in funding for the St. Mary's Children's Home and the Children's Authority.
02:59Members of the opposition quizzed the minister in the office of the prime minister
03:03as to what the additional funds for the children's home and the authority will be used for.
03:09And I don't know if the minister member wants me to go into talking about groceries and toilet paper
03:17and electricity bill and so on, but in terms of administrative arrangements,
03:21in terms of administrative arrangements, they should know very well
03:25that the under-budgeted and under-resourced critical areas with respect to children's issues
03:31in terms of the provision for the most vulnerable in our nation, society,
03:35and therefore it is hypocritical for members of the opposition to come to ask these questions
03:40knowing that it did not sufficiently provide for the St. Mary's Children's Home and the Children's Authority.
03:46This led to objections from the opposition.
03:49Chair, I mean, our responsibility on this side, Mr. Chair, is to ask questions.
03:59And we are asking those questions in alignment with the standing order.
04:03Why is the Honourable Minister being allowed to be so insultive to members of the opposition
04:08and behave in the most scandalous way?
04:11And I'm asking you to please take charge of these proceedings.
04:15From the additional $13,900,000 allocated to the National Security Ministry,
04:22$3.7 million will be used to pay for food for 178 detainees under the recently held state of emergency.
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