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 45TH Sitting Friday, 4TH November, 2016 The Assembly convened at 2.50 p.m. Prayers [Mr. Speaker in the Chair] ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER Leave Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, leave has been granted to the Hon. Member, Ms. Africo Selman, for today’s sitting. Parliamentary Forum on Anti-Corruption Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I must tell you that the Parliamentary Forum on Anti-Corruption will be held during the period 9th to 11th November, 2016. The opening ceremony and plenary session will commence on 10th November, 2016. There have been requests by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to participate in the forum. With this being a forum for Members of Parliament (MPs), I would need to discuss with the Prime Minister whether any requests from persons, other than Members of Parliament, could be accommodated. 1 Matters pertaining to Private Members Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, we started somewhat late this afternoon. I neglected to offer an explanation for our lateness. There was a matter which claimed the attention of the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Whips of this House and the Clerk of the National Assembly. We were able to resolve that matter and there was an agreement that, at the next Sitting of the National Assembly, matters pertaining to Private Members, in this instance the Opposition, will have precedence in the House. I thank you for your forbearance. PRESENTATION OF PAPERS AND REPORTS The following papers and reports were laid: 1. Minutes of Proceedings of the 5th Meeting of the Committee of Selection held on Thursday, 27th October, 2016. [ The Speaker of the National Assembly, Chairman of Committee of Selection] 2. Annual Report of the Public Debt of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana for the year 2015. [The Minister of Finance] Minister of Finance [Mr. Jordan]: Mr. Speaker, if you would allow me a few minutes to say something about this report. The first thing I would like to say is that the report is not required under any law, regulation, constitution or otherwise, but in keeping with the Government’s pledge to provide greater transparency and accountability in Government and to make, as wide as possible, information available to the public, we, on our own accord, has decided to produce this report and to make it available to public. Thus, it is the first attempt in this regard. In keeping with international best practice recommendations for public debt management, as articulated by the Word Bank’s Debt Management Performance Assessment (DeMPA) tool, we have prepared a Public Debt Annual Report for this Cooperative Republic of Guyana spanning the period 2011 to 2015. The Government, through the Minister of Finance, is responsible for managing and accounting for the public debt and contingent liabilities. The Ministry of Finance, therefore, is responsible 2 for public debt management through our principal agency - the Debt Management Division. While annual financial statements are presented to the National Assembly and there is information on debt contained in the annual budget statement, there is no detail reporting to the National Assembly on debt management activities. Information on the public debt is sparse with very limited data provided on portfolio costs and risk exposures. Thus, the rationale for reporting to the National Assembly on the debt management operations and activities is to ensure that the Government is accountable for its debt management operations and detail information is provided to the public, which approach promises transparency in debt management and good governance. The compilation of this inaugural Public Debt Annual Report represents an important step in enshrining institutional transparency and accountability. The report presents a review of the country’s external and domestic debt portfolios and risk analysis for the period 2011 to 2015. It also includes data on public guarantees, lending loans and the results of a debt sustainability analysis. Institutional developments of public debt management are also discussed in this report. Mr. Speaker, I hope and our Government hope that, by producing this report, we will have a better informed commentary on the public debt and less of the uninformed information that we see emanating from sources which we once thought were credible, but which now seem to be in the realm of the incredulous. I thank you. [Applause] 3. The Labour (National Minimum Wage) Order 2016 –No. 15 of 2016 [The Minister of Social Protection] ORAL QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I received two oral questions, one from the Hon. Member, Dr. Frank Anthony, and the other from the Hon. Member, Ms. Gail Teixeira, Opposition Chief Whip. I now invite the Hon. Member, Dr. Frank Anthony, to read his question. Dr. Anthony: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister of Communities, the Hon. Ronald Bulkan, confirm with this House whether Antinfek or Polyhexanide is being used for the 3 purification of drinking water in Guyana? If this is so, could the Minister inform this House as to: A. Who authorised the use of Antinfek for the purification of drinking water in Guyana? B. When was this decision taken to use Antinfek instead of chlorine? C. Identify which water wells were or are using Antinfek, the locations and the amount of people served by these wells? D. How long have the residents of these communities been exposed to Antinfek in their drinking water? E. Which international agencies, World Health Organisation/Pan-American Health Organisation (WHO/PAHO) or others have certified the use of Antinfek in water intended for human consumption? F. Which countries use Antinfek to purify drinking water for human consumption? G. What are the side effects of Antinfek on human beings, after prolong consumption? H. What surveillance system, if any, has been put in place to monitor the side effects on the population using Antinfek? If not, why not? I. Were the identified communities informed of the change in water purification methods? J. How much Antinfek was bought by the GWI and at what cost? K. What was the method used to procure this substance and how many companies participated in the bidding? L. What company was finally awarded the contract to supply Antinfek? Minister of Communities [Mr. Bulkan]: Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the questions which he has posed. They are questions that are, indeed, very important concerning important issues relating to public policy, public health, transparency and good governance. All issues which this Administration is deeply concerned about, as we heard a moment ago from the Hon. Minister of Finance. 4 The questions that we have just heard consist of 12 parts. [Ms. Ally: Twelve questions] Twelve questions. While I am aware that the Standing Orders provide for questions to be posed in this manner, I am also advised that the Standing Orders are not designed, if you will, to serve as an ambush on any Member or on a Minister of this honourable House. [Interruption] If I may be allow to respond without the noise from the other side. I learnt of these questions by way of notification from the Hon. Clerk of the National Assembly at approximately 11.56 a.m. today, a mere two hours ago. I think that the Hon. Members on the other side are aware of the convention of this House. Whilst, I am not in a position to give full and complete answers to the 12 questions that were posed, I will try to provide some preliminary answers for the benefit of all Members of this honourable House and, in particular, to the Member who has posed the questions. I would first like to begin by saying that the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) had written to the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) following reports in the media about the purported use of this particular chemical that goes under the trade name Antinfek or Polyhexanide, seeking clarifications and expressing certain concerns. Earlier today, the management of GWI met with the Public Utilities Commission and I am advised that complete answers were provided to all of the queries and concerns that were posed by the Public Utilities Commission. It is my expectation and understanding that this information would reach its way into the public domain. 3.05 p.m. I would like to assure the Hon. Member, who has posed these questions, that the particular chemical is not being used at any of the locations for which treated water is provided by GWI. It is the case that, at all of the locations, Chlorine is the sole disinfectant that is being used. In addition to Chlorine, at some of these plants, lime is being used. In the few plants that utilise their source of water from surface sources, I think it is well–known by many Members on the other side that, alum is being used. So, this particular chemical is not being used for purification at any of the water treatment plants. Some of the information that is being provided to me, which I am pleased to relate to this honourable House at this stage, is that the particular chemical in question has been proclaimed as a safe product for various applications in areas mainly relating to human hygiene, private and 5 public health areas of veterinary, hygiene, food, feed areas, canned preservatives, as well as drinking water. In addition, Poly (Hexamethylene Biguanide) Hydrochloride (PHMB) is safe in clinical and well–tolerated use, topically on skin, eyes, areas of the nose, and on wounds.