Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1694871080230.pdf (Guyana)
PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA FOR THE WEEK MONDAY, 7th JANUARY, 2013 - FRIDAY, 11th JANUARY, 2013 MONDAY, 7th JANUARY, 2013 SITTING OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NIL Meetings of Parliamentary Committees Public Account Committees TIME: 1.30 p.m Venue: Parliament Chamber, Public Buildings, Brickdam, Georgetown.
Business: (i) Correction and confirmation of Minutes of the 15th Meeting held on 24th December,2012; (ii) Matters Arising; (iii) To consider letter re: Establishment of a Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC) branch in Guyana; and 1 (iv) To continue examination of the Public Accounts of Guyana for the fiscal year ended 31st December 2010, together with the report of the Auditor General thereon, in respect of the following: Ministry/Department/Other Paragraph in Auditor Accounting Officer General’s Report 1.
Ministry of Housing and Water 241 (1) Mr. Emil Mc Garrell 2.Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social 272 – 288 (17) Ms. Lorene Baird Security 3.

Ministry of Health 252 – 271 (20) Mr. Leslie Cadogan Any Other Business 2 TUESDAY, 8th JANUARY, 2013 Sitting of the National Assembly NIL Meetings of Parliamentary Committees NIL WEDNESDAY 9th JANUARY, 2013 Sitting of the National Assembly NIL 3 Meetings of Parliamentary Committees *Committee on Appointments Time: 3.00 p.m. Venue: Committee Room No.
1, Committees Division, Public Buildings, Brickdam.
Business: (i) Call to Order: (ii) Announcements; (iii) Confirmation of Minutes of the 3rd Meeting held on Wednesday, 12th December, 2012; (iv) Matters Arising; (v) To continue consideration of the list of entities to be consulted to nominate Members to be appointed to the Ethnic Relations Commission; and (vi) To identify entities to be consulted to nominate Members to be appointed to the: - Rights of the Child Commission; and - Women & Gender Equality Commission.
Any Other Business *Not Opened to the Public 4 THURSDAY 10th JANUARY, 2013 Sitting of the National Assembly Time: 2.00 p.m. Venue: Parliament Chamber, Public Buildings, Brickdam, Georgetown.

Business: REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES- By the Speaker of the National Assembly (Chairman of the Committee of Selection): Minutes of Proceedings of the 5th Meeting of the Committee of Selection held on Thursday, 20th December, 2012.

(To be Circulated) QUESTIONS ON NOTICE- For Written Replies 1.
RESTORATION OF THE SUMS DELETED FROM 2012 BUDGET Member Asking: Mr. Carl B. Greenidge, M.P.

Minister Answering: The Minister of Finance Minister of Finance, Hon.
Dr. Ashni Singh, M.P., is reported to have said, in delivering his 2012 Mid-Year Report, he had restored the sums the House deleted from the 2012 Budged, on grounds that “The National Assembly was later deemed by the Courts of Guyana to have acted outside its constitutional remit in inflicting those cuts to the budget;” and 5 Dr. Roger Luncheon was quoted in the press on September 7, 2012 as saying that “the $1 that was approved by the Opposition for the various Agencies was totally inconsistent with the constitutional provision as ruled by the Chief Justice;” and that, “no one lost their jobs.” “Contingency Funds were approved and funds made available belatedly, but still available to meet the wages and salaries of the contract workers at Office of the President.” Would the Hon.
Minister of Finance say whether monies cut from the Budget and not approval by this House have been restored to the Ministries?

If, so, (i) What categories and sums have been involved?

(ii) What is the legal basis for such payments?

(iii) What advice was provided on this matter by the Attorney General?
(iv) What section of the Chief Justice’s report/decision suggests that either the Chief Justice or the Ministry of Finance can restore cuts to the budget or that the Chief Justice can authorise the Ministry of Finance to make advances from the Consolidated Fund?

(Notice Paper No.115 (Q 66 Opp.

65) published on 2012-12-14) 2.

TAX BREAKS TO THE ORGANISERS OF HITS & JAMS ENTERTAINMENT CONCERT Member Asking: Mr. Carl B. Greenidge, M.P.
Minister Answering: The Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce (ag) According to the Stabroek News of Thursday, 18th October, 2012, the Government of Guyana announced through Minister Irfaan Ali, M.P., that it will be giving tax breaks to the organisers of a Hits and Jams Entertainment Concert to be held in December in Guyana.

Will the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce (ag.
): 6 (i) Provide this House with an authoritative report on the extent of the Government’s financial and other support involved in supporting the concert and Mr. Brown’s participation in it?

(ii) Say how much support to such concerts have cost the taxpayer in terms of revenue foregone and other benefits since June, 2012?

(iii) What quarter will support other than the tax break be provided by funded?
(iv) On the basis of what reputable estimate has he announced that many foreign visitors are expected to come to Guyana only to attend the concert?

(v) What criteria has the PPP Government been using in deciding on whether to extend financial support to the organisers of such events?

(vi) Were they the same criteria applied to exclude Sizzla, Bounty Killer, Vibes Cartel and Movado?
(vii) What inputs have the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Human Services and Social Security had in this decision?

(Notice Paper No.116 (Q 67 Opp.

66) published on 2012-12-14) PUBLIC BUSINESS (i) GOVERNMENT’S BUSINESS MOTION 1.

CONSIDERATION OF FINANCIAL PAPER NO.

6/2012 Assembly to resolve itself into Committee of Supply.
In Committee of Supply The Minister of Finance to signify the recommendation or consent of the Cabinet and to move the following motion: BE IT RESOLVED: 7 Financial Paper No.

6/2012 – Supplementary Estimates (Capital) totalling $2,000,000,000 – Advances made from the Contingencies Fund for the period 18th December, 2012 to 31st December, 2012.

(Notice Paper No.

121 (M 54 Govt.

21) published on 2013-01-04) (Paper presented on 2013-01-03) Bills – Second Readings 2.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL 2012 – Bill No.


18/2012 published on 2012-08-09 The Prime Minister and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs to move the second reading of the following: A BILL intituled AN ACT to provide for the establishment of the Telecommunications Agency and for a regular, coordinated, open and competitive telecommunications sector and for matters incidental thereto or connected therewith.

(Read a first time on 2012-08-09) 3.

PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION (AMENDMENT) BILL 2012 – Bill No.
17/2012 published on 2012-08-09 The Prime Minister and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs to move the second reading of the following Bill: A BILL intituled AN ACT to amend the Public Utilities Commission Act.

(Read a first time on 2012-08-09) (i) PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS BILLS – Second Reading 8 4.

FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY (AMENDMENT) BILL 2012 – No.
24/2012 published on 2012-12-18 Mr. Carl Greenidge, M.P., to move the second reading of the following Bill: A BILL intituled AN ACT to amend the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003.

MOTIONS (Read a first time on 2012-12-17) 5.

FORMER PRESIDENTS (BENEFIT AND OTHER FACILITIES) BILL 2012 – Bill No.

29/2012 Mr. Carl Greenidge, M.P., to move the following motion: BE IT RESOLVED: That this National Assembly, in accordance with Standing Order No.
52(1), grant leave for the introduction and first reading of the Former President (Benefit and Other Facilities) Bill 2012 – Bill No.

29/2012 – A BILL intituled AN ACT to provide benefits and other facilities for Former Presidents.

(Notice Paper No.

114 (M49 Opp 30) published on 2012-12-12) If leave is granted, the Clerk shall read aloud the title of the Bill.

9 6.

THE APPOINTMENT OF A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENCE OF CRIMINAL VIOLENCE FROM 2004 TO 2010 IN GUYANA Brig.
(Ret’d) David Granger, M.S.S., M.P., Leader of the Opposition, to move the following motion: WHEREAS, Article 138(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana prescribes that no person shall be deprived of his life intentionally save in the execution of the sentence of a court in respect of an offence under the Laws of Guyana of which he has been convicted; AND WHEREAS in accordance with the Commission of Inquiry Act, Chapter 19:03, “The President may issue a commission appointing one or more commissioners and authorizing such commissioner or commissioners to inquire into any matter in which an inquiry would, in the opinion of the President, be for the public welfare”; AND WHEREAS this country has witnessed a pattern of unlawful killing of undetermined numbers of persons – including assassinations; executions; murders; extra-judicial killings by members of the Guyana Police Force Target Special Squad and other forms of criminal violence in Guyana during a period of ‘troubles’ on the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara and elsewhere – which were harmful to the public welfare; AND WHEREAS several of these killings have been of a deliberate and systematic nature – particularly those which occurred at Agricola; Bartica; Buxton; Eccles; Lindo Creek; Lusignan and Bel Air, Bourda and Kitty in Georgetown – which can be classified as massacres and have engendered alarm and despondency among the population; AND WHEREAS some killings involved members of the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force and unidentified criminal gangs in which gangsters were equipped with a variety of electronic ‘eavesdropping’ equipment, weapons and vehicles that were provided with assistance and support by members of the Guyana Police Force; 10 AND WHEREAS commissions of inquiry and coroners’ inquests have not been conducted into some unnatural deaths and criminal investigation reports by the Guyana Police Force, with regard to the most egregious of these crimes, have often been inconclusive; AND WHEREAS the National Assembly is the
 supreme legislative forum of our Republic wherein the people’s elected representatives discuss and determine matters of national interest and which is obliged to consider the grave threats to the public welfare and public security which prevailed during the aforesaid period of the ‘troubles’ and which remain substantially uninvestigated, BE IT RESOLVED: That the National Assembly condemns the killing of citizens of Guyana which occurred during the period of the ‘troubles’ and expresses its concern that commissions of inquiry have not been convened to investigate the unlawful killings, including the assassination of a Minister of the Government in April, 2006, on the East Coast of Demerara; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the National Assembly calls upon the President of Guyana, in accordance with the Commission of Inquiry Act, Chapter 19:03, to appoint a Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the unlawful killing of citizens during the years 2004 to 2010.
(Notice Paper No.

112 (M47 Opp 29) published on 2012-12-12) (ii) COMMITTEES BUSINESS MOTION 7.

ADOPTION OF THE SECOND REPORT OF THE STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE Ms Amna Ally, M.P., Opposition Chief Whip, to move the following motion: 11 BE IT RESOLVED: That the second Report of the Standing Orders Committee be adopted.

(Notice Paper No.

120 (M 53 Opp.


31) published on 2012-12-17) FRIDAY, 11th JANUARY, 2013 Sitting of the National Assembly NIL Meetings of Parliamentary Committees NIL -------------------------- Parliament Office Public Buildings Brickdam Georgetown.

12