PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FIRST SESSION (2015-2016) OF THE ELEVENTH PARLIAMENT OF GUYANA UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CO-OPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA HELD IN THE PARLIAMENT CHAMBER, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, BRICKDAM, GEORGETOWN 41ST Sitting Thursday, 4th August, 2016 The Assembly convened at 2.10 p.m. Prayers [Mr. Speaker in the Chair] ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER Leave from Sitting Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, leave has been granted today for the Hon. Member Mr. Zulfikar Mustapha to be absent. Birthday greetings Mr. Speaker: It has been drawn to my attention that congratulations are in order for one of our Members who has attained another milestone. I speak of the Hon. Minister of Finance, Mr. Winston Jordan, whose birthday it is today. [Applause] PRESENTATION OF PAPERS AND REPORTS The following reports were laid: (1) Financial Paper No. 1/2016 – Supplementary Estimates (Current and Capital) – Advances made from the Contingencies Fund totalling $931,018,292 for the period 1st January, 2016 to 28th July, 2016. (2) Financial Paper No. 2/2016 – Supplementary Estimates (Current and Capital) totalling $2,089,699,085 for the period 1st January, 2016 to 31st December, 2016. 1 (3) The Petroleum (Exploration and Production) (Tax Laws) (Esso Exploration and Production Limited, CNOOCNexen Petroleum Guyana Limited and Hess Guyana Exploration Limited) Order 2016 – No. 10/2016. (4) The Excise Tax (Amendment) Regulations 2016 – No. 4/2016. (5) Dollar Credit Line Agreement dated March 16, 2016 between the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Export-Import Bank of India for US$50,000,000.00 for the East Bank-East Coast Road Linkage Project. (6) First Amendatory Dollar Credit Line Agreement dated March 16, 2016 between the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Export-Import Bank of India for US$2,991,147.00 for acquiring, installing and commissioning of fixed and mobile irrigation pumps. [Minister of Finance] (7) The Technical Audit Report on the Kato Secondary School Complex by Rodrigues Architects Ltd. [Minister of Public Infrastructure] Minister of Public Infrastructure [Mr. Patterson]: Mr. Speaker, while I am standing please allow me to make five brief points on the report? Sir, this school, as you would know, is located in Region 8. The genesis behind the construction of the school was that, when completed, it would serve about 500 students from areas such as Monkey Mountain, Kuraparu, Kopinang, et cetera. The report was done on behalf of the Ministry of Education. All parties involved in the report were given an opportunity to respond to the queries and the issues raised and I just want to highlight six points. 1. Both the contractor and the consultant, in their defence of the matters that I am going to raise, claimed that they were pressured by members of the previous Administration to complete the work expeditiously and timely because of the elections period and that is written in the report. 2. On the structures, it was found that the quality of the reinforced concrete and other elements were substandard. Fifty per cent of the concrete testing failed. [Interruption] Mr. Speaker hit gavel. Mr. Speaker: Hon. Minister, you are presenting the report on the Kato Secondary School. 2 Mr. Patterson: Yes, Sir. Mr. Speaker: Then I would ask you to let the report be as concise as possible, as is the normal treatment of reports. Please proceed. Mr. Patterson: Thank you Sir. With your guidance, I will surmise to say that the report highlighted several deficiencies and they are all written in the report. I also want to say that we are committed to having the Kato Secondary School completed. I do not want to go into each and every detail but this Government will complete the school. I will shorten my presentation to say that this was a project that was poorly executed and will, obviously, be a blue print for my Ministry on all projects, in that, when an audit is done, it will be laid in the National Assembly for public scrutiny. Thank you. [Applause] Mr. Speaker: I thank the Hon. Minister. REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES The following report was laid: (1) Report of the Public Accounts Committee relating to the appointment of Members of the Public Procurement Commission. [Mr. Irfaan Ali– Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee] ORAL QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 1. Data based information received from GECOM Mr. Speaker: Hon. Member, Ms. Teixeira, there are two oral questions without notice which I believe stand in your name. Please proceed. Ms. Teixeira: Thank you Mr. Speaker. There are three questions without notice for Ministers standing in my name. They are all rather brief questions. I would like to ask the Hon. Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Volda Lawrence, whether she could inform this National Assembly what database information was sought and received from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Could the Minister disclose in what way would the database information be used in the work of the Ministry? 3 Minister of Social Protection [Ms. Lawrence]: Mr. Speaker, with regards to the first question asked by the Hon. Member, let me at the outset indicate to this House that the request by the Ministry of Social Protection to the Guyana Elections Commission had absolutely no ulterior motive. The information which the Ministry sought was that which is on the GECOM’s website. It is also in the public domain via the lists which were placed at the various medical centres, schools and other public buildings for the persons within the various communities to peruse. Thirdly, this particular information was disseminated by GECOM to all political parties, prior to the elections. The information which we sought was basically for those persons who are 65 years and over. Ms. Teixeira: Supplementary question: Could the Hon. Minister state whether the Ministry sought the National Register of Registrants (NRR) or the Final Voters’ List (FVL). This is because the FVL is on a website and is downloadable and those are the lists that would be posted at the voting or registration centres for the purpose of elections. Are you saying that you had to seek permission from GECOM to get the voters’ list? Is it the FVL or the NRR that you are using since the NRR is a completely different list? Ms. Lawrence: Mr. Speaker, to the Hon. Member, the information sought was that listed on the website and, as I said, the information was on the documents posted in the public domain. What the Ministry basically asked GECOM to do with that information was to disaggregate those persons who are 65 years and over as of 15th December. With regards to the second part of the question, this information will be used by the Ministry of Social Protection to ensure that all of our pensioners receive their pensions. Mr. Speaker: Is there a second and third question, please? Ms. Teixeira: No, I will move to the next question for another Minister. 2. Data based information sought from GECOM Ms. Teixeira: I wish to ask the Hon. Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, whether he can inform this National Assembly what database information is being sought from GECOM and disclose what uses the Ministry proposes to GECOM to explain this request? 4 Minister of Education [Dr. Roopnaraine]: Mr. Speaker, I regret to inform the Hon. Member that I have requested this information from my technical advisers and have not yet received it. As soon as I do receive the information I will ensure that it is circulated and provided for the Hon. Member. Ms. Teixeira: Can I just clarify with the Hon. Minister whether the Ministry of Education did request the database information from GECOM or is it that he is asking his advisers to advise him if they had asked? Dr. Roopnaraine: The answer is the latter. I am asking that the technical advisers to brief me in full in relation to the information they requested and why? Ms. Teixeira: Thank you for your candidness. It is much appreciated as the request was made to GECOM by an officer within your Ministry and, therefore, I would like, when you are more prepared, to come back to the question, if you would like. Mr. Speaker: Does that exhaust your questions now Hon. Member? Ms. Teixeira: No, I have one more question. Mr. Speaker: Please proceed. 2.25 p.m. 3. The New Global Human Order Ms. Teixeira: This is a question to the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Greenidge. The 71st United Nations (UN) General Assembly this year will be discussing the UN Resolution 69/202, under the quote: “The role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order.” Since, the New Global Human Order (NGHO) was initiated at the United Nations, by Guyana, in the mid-1990s by President Dr. Cheddi Jagan, could the Hon. Minister, Mr. Greenidge, inform this House whether Guyana will continue to support and continue its stewardship of the resolution at the upcoming UN General Assembly? Vice–President and Minister of Foreign Affairs [Mr. Greenidge]: I thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I would like to respond by first of all indicating to the distinguished Member, Mdm. Teixeira, that since Dr. Jagan held the International Conference on the NGHO in 5 Georgetown in 1996 and the introduction of the NGHO into the agenda of the United Nations a couple of things have happened. It is instructive, I think, to bear those in mind in order to understand where we could go, as it regards the future. Over the years (2001–2014), since the 2000 introduction, the UN General Assembly has considered the issue consistently and has had plenary debates on the item several times.