Food queries take centre stage
The Bill clearing the way for the provisions of the $62.2 billion 2000 budget was passed at yesterday's session of the National Assembly, which was seemingly fixated on food. Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj, was asked by Deborah Backer of the PNC about the alarming increase in the 'Refreshment and Meals' allocation for the secretariat services of his ministry from $629,000 in 1999, to $860,000 for 2000. Gajraj noted that "the Honourable Member must have taken account of my size in asking the question." Backer continued grilling Gajraj, this time about the 'Dietary' and 'Refreshment and Meals' allowances for the Guyana Police Force of $9.4 million. Gajraj said that a lot of this was to feed police officers during late night conferences. Gajraj refused at first to inform the members of the institutional strength of the police force, saying that when a situation like the recent 'Siege of Eccles' occurs, criminals should not know how many officers were still available. This brought guffaws from the PNC benches and Gajraj later said if the members were to turn to page 492 of the budget document all would be revealed. There are 131 inspectors, 50 station sergeants, 269 sergeants, 535 corporals, 219 lance corporals and 2,334 constables. Dunstan Barrow had brought up the question because he said, "We would be failing in our duty to come sit here and give a blank cheque." He admitted that this might have happened in the past but "the time has come for this to be changed." Speaker of the House, Derek Jagan, assured Barrow that more questions had been asked in the last three days than he could remember. Meanwhile, Backer persisted with the food questions. Turning to the prisons, she wanted to know how much of the $72 million budgeted for food was spent on the prisoners and not the officers. Gajraj said none of the money was spent on the officers and revealed that the prison service spends $123 per day on food for inmates. This would therefore work out to an anticipated prison population of 1,603. The Guyana Fire Service also budgeted $350,000 for refreshments and snacks, which Gajraj said was for those employees who work beyond their eight-hour shift due to the short staffing situation. The bill was duly passed and the parliament session ended. The members then went for "refreshments and snacks," which were budgeted for under the Parliament Office (National Assembly) in 1999 at $3.5 million, but went over by $1.1 million to $4.6 million. They have made sure to budget for $5.4 million in 2000. (William Walker)
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