According to Minister Persaud, the Parliamentary Management Committee (PMC) has agreed that complex Bills will be referred to a Special Select Committee, except urgent matters. Given the urgency of the Financial Management and Accountability Bill 2003, the Government proceeded to pass the Bill while including several of the amendments as proposed by the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR).

The Minister reiterated that there has been no breach of Parliamentary procedures or of the role of the Parliamentary Management Committee.

The Bill which was passed last Monday and which has been assented to by the President seeks in principle, to improve Fiscal management and also to improve accountability in systems of management. This is an essential requirement set out by IFI's for Guyana to benefit from further debt relief.

When he presented the Bill before the National Assembly, Finance Minister

Sasenarine Kowlessar had said that it is the intention of the Government to meet a pending deadline in order for Guyana to secure further debt relief to the tune of US$30M per year for the next ten years.