Monday 23Rd December 2013

Monday 23rd December 2013. The Speaker, Sir Allan Kemakeza took the Chair at 9:53 am Prayers: ATTENDANCE All are present except the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs, the Member for East Are’Are, Maringe/Kokota, North New Georgia, North West Guadalcanal, North Vella La Vella, South Guadalcanal and South New Georgia/Rendova/Tetepari. BILLS Bills – Committee of Supply The “2014 Appropriation Bill 2013” Pages 247, 248, 249 Hon Derek Sikua: Thank you Mr Chairman, on page 248, there is a very big reduction on item 2008 publicity and promotions, a reduction of more than $47,000.00 Mr Chairman leaving only more than $52,000, in this allocation. If the Minister can explain to the committee why this very big reduction and whether they don’t really need it in 2014 Sir. Thank you. Hon Dickson Mua: Thank you Chair, the decrease is a result of this framework of the 2014 budget and how it is formulated, although the accounts department in my ministry has submitted upon our table to get it. Thank you Chair. 1 Hon Derek Sikua: Thank you Mr Chairman, so is the minister saying that his ministry is requesting the same level of funding that he is received this year 2013 of more than $300,000.00 but ministry of Finance cuts down this amount Mr Chairman. And if so, how can he recover this amount to carry out publicity and promotions in 2014. How will the Ministry get the amount back for its activities in terms of publicity and promotions? Hon Dickson Mua: Thank you Chair. In fact this follows the new Chart of Accounts. What the Ministry will do is that, we will look at the other Heads, to see if we can also tap there. Hon Derek Sikua: Thank you Mr Chairman, still on page 248 on Salaries. There is also a huge reduction to the salaries of the staff of the Ministry, almost 50percent reduction. Why is this huge reduction of more than $953,000? Are you laying-off half of your staff in 2014, and therefore, this huge reduction to the salaries? Hon Dickson Mua: Thank you Chair. This reduction is due to the framework of the budget, 2014 Budget. In fact it is based on the actuals for the 2014 Budget. Hon Derek Sikua: Thank you Mr Chairman. I am hearing a lot about this framework of the budget. What sort of framework are you talking about? Can the Minister of Finance explain this framework that they use for the budget? Because I am seeing very huge reductions for the same Ministry on the same page under the Heads further down. For non-residential buildings, huge reductions are also there, maintenance of residential buildings; huge reductions are also there, as well as maintaining computer equipments. I think the Minister for Finance can explain the framework on how we devise this 2014 Budget. 2 Hon Rick Houenipwela: Thank you Mr Chairman. I do not have anything to add to what I have said previously on this issue. But on this particular Head, it is quite important for us to compare the figures that are actuals in the previous years. I do not see any reductions to the actuals, although a small reduction is there. I was looking at the establishments; there is no reduction there, which means their budget is the same as the previous years in terms of salaries. Page 250, 251, 252 Mr Manasseh Sogavare: Thank you Mr Chairman. Page 251 Sub Items 2710 and 2715, it is to do with Public Servants Local Other Costs and Local Fares, these items are zeroed, some of the things that were asked earlier on were related to work related tours of the officers and the question is whether Plantation development forestry Unit will do any work related tours or not? If yes then where will you meet those work related tours for your officers since there is zero under their subhead for 2014? Hon Dickson Mua: Can the colleague repeat his question and also stated which page he is referring to? Mr Manasseh Sogavare: Thank you Chairman, the page is page 251 and it is about the sub item 2710 - Public Servants Local Other costs and 2715 - Others Local Fares. When referred back to the questions asked by some ministries, they said that costs are related to work related tours of the Public Officers. The question is whether the Plantation Development & Forestry division will any local work related tours to the provinces or not? If yes then where will we meet those costs since those is no allocation for those two items for 2014? Hon Dickson Mua: We will take under the budget of headquarters and also on monitoring and evaluation, thank you. 3 Pages 253, 254 and 255 Mr Peter Shanel Agoavaka (Central Guadalcanal): I just want to ask the Minister; what kind of monitoring and evaluation are you planning to do next year and hence, attract the amount that is there for 2014 budget. Is it the monitoring on the re-forestation or the downstream processing or the Biomass survey or carbon inventors or the courier plant inventory? What sort of monitoring and evaluation is this? Hon Dickson Mua: This monitoring and Evaluation will basically involve the officers to check the out growers and also some projects that have been funded by the Ministry, especially those that the Ministry actually give some assistance. Hon John Maneniaru (West Are Are): Thank you, on page 253 subhead 2504 - Maintain - Structures, Airfields and Wharves, can the Minister explain which wharves and airfields are under the ministry and that the budget is allocated to? Hon Dickson Mua: This is for the landscaping of our national herbarium, but the way they set this chart of account that is why they lump everyone together, basically it is to do landscaping at our national herbarium at the botanical garden. Mr Manasseh Sogavare: Thank you Mr Chairman. May be the ministry of finance will take note of that, to strengthen the narrations because certainly airfields and wharves are no way close to the functions of the ministry of forestry. Under this item, which the Leader of Independent group raised on sub item 250100- the national herbarium, that botanical garden; the narration that needs to be corrected for historical purposes. 4 Hon Derek Sikua: Page 253, uniforms – item 2901, it’s a new allocation I noted that this national herbarium botanical garden has nine staff. I want to ask the minister; how often do you purchase new uniforms for the staff working at the national herbarium and botanical garden? Hon Dickson Mua: These costs are for uniforms as the leader of opposition rightly mentioned and for all staff and especially the technical staff of the ministry. Not only in Honiara but it also caters for those in the provinces to give them identity for the public to recognize a forestry officer and not someone from a village, so that they can carry out their duties efficiently and effectively and also for the safety of these materials to those that work with chemicals. They need those uniforms, thank you chair. Hon John Maneniaru: page 253, head 03022, botanic garden and herbarium, minister in answer to my question today, was implying that work is still there but here it is zeroed. Can the minister explain whether some works are still there as it implies because there is no budget for the botanical garden? Hon Dickson Mua: Thank you chair, I am still looking around it here. Hon John Maneniaru: Thank you chairman, can I hear the answer to my question from the minister. Hon Dickson Mua: If the leader of independent can repeat his question, thank you. Is it on 3022? Hon John Maneniaru: I am happy to repeat the question, on page 253, Head 3022 on Botanic and Herbarium. With the answer that you have given to my question earlier 5 you have implied that there were some works are there, but in here the budget is zero. That is what I am asking you, to explain why the budget is zero since you still imply that some work is still under the Botanical garden. Hon Dickson Mua: Thank you Chair, the first part that you have asked on the question is under the development budget, but under the National Herbarium and Botanical garden there was no allocation. Hon Derek Sikua: Thank you Mr Chairman. you are going to have the same answer for this item 2501, ‘maintenance of non residential building’ because in 2012 you have more than $334,000 for that work and this year there was none and maybe next year there will be no allocation for it? Is it under the development budget, or where does the maintenance for non residential buildings on the Herbarium and Botanical Garden provides for under your budget? Hon. Dickson Mua: Chair, you would see a decrease there and it is due to the fact that most major repairs have been done this year and a lot of maintenance work has already been done this year. Hon Johnley Hatimoana: Thank you Chairman, I would like to ask a question to the Minister on Head 1010 where there is a decrease on next year’s budget but if you look at Head 2714 there is an increase in terms of Public Servants annual leave fairs. Can the Minister explain this inconsistency in terms of reduction in salary and then an increase in fares? Hon Dickson Mua: Well a few answers to those, like I have mentioned is because of this 2014 framework on the budget, and for the other one we have actually base it on the actual of 2014 on the salaries of our employees to work on the national herbarium 6 and botanical garden.

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