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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Sep 2009 : 17:16:40
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Culled from The Daily News
Extra Hundred Millions for Government Spending
By Saikou Jammeh
After having nearly exhausted the money budgeted for this year’s government spending on all its intended activities, the Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs, Mr. Abdou Kolley Thursday get the approval of the National Assembly to take an extra D344.8 millions from government coffers to spend in sectors that nearly exhausts their budget in order to keep activities going there till the end of the year.
Called the supplementary appropriation, Minister Kolley explained that these include adjustment on personal expenditure, goods and services, and capital as an addition on 2009 appropriation. He however told deputies that government is quiet comfortable with spending since they could take from other sectors where spending has been low, but they are afraid to do so in the event their speeding picks-up.
On the performance of first and second half of the fiscal year, total expenses he said, is 2.5 billion while emolument is D771.6Million, capital expenditure D372.1Million, goods and services D758.2Million, current transfer including pension, D255.5Million, lending and equity participation is D120.6M, and areas and short-term loan repayment is D144Million. “However if you exclude statutory payment, overall expenditure stands at 80.1 percent of the total appropriation of the year 2009”, he said.
The National Assembly member for Serre Kunda East, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta seconding the motion said the constitution provides for the executive to come to the assembly for approval when the amount they have initially budgeted is not sufficient.
According to the majority leader, many activities have happened during the course of the year that was unforeseen when drafting the budget. In this regard he added, government must make a supplementary appropriation to spend if the need arise because as he put it, “people’s salaries cannot be reduced or denied”, adding that there have been promotions in the army which needs to tally with their earning.
The member for Kombo South, Hon. Paul Mendy adding his voice to support the motion buttressed the need for the bill to be passed. He said budgeting is unlike holy books where mistakes or shortfalls are avoided, while member for Kiang Central Babanding Daffeh expressed concern on why productive sectors such as agriculture and health are not captured on the supplementary appropriation.
He further expressed concern over the huge sum that government is spending on buying new vehicles which do not last long. He said with every mechanic garage one goes, there must be a government vehicle. Thus asking, “why can’t we maintain the ones we have because its money?”
Hon. Sidia Jatta said details of the need for the appropriation are not clearly stipulated by the Minister. Referring to the minister he said, “You are telling me the objective is to provide service for Gambian public from 1st January to December of this year, whilst we had adequately budgeted for statutory allocations. If you are telling me still salaries, you must tell me salaries for who… and when must be stipulated here clearly because you cannot tell me you cannot appropriate without knowing why you are appropriating.
“Convince me; when has the shortfall occurred and when the need arise or going to arise with definiteness, not probabilities because supplementary is not cheap.
Budgeting he said, requires strategic planning and strategic planning needs strategic thinking: “You cannot tell me you are taking the money because you are not sure, while all of us here put our heads together to see what was needed for the whole year and we put it there. Now you are telling me you need more. Why and when?
Source: The Daily News
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 14 Sep 2009 : 19:01:42
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"an extra D344.8 millions from government coffers to spend in sectors that nearly exhausts their budget in order to keep activities going there till the end of the year.
Called the supplementary appropriation"
Or to put it another way "not managing the money you have efficiently"
quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
Culled from The Daily News
Extra Hundred Millions for Government Spending
By Saikou Jammeh
After having nearly exhausted the money budgeted for this year’s government spending on all its intended activities, the Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs, Mr. Abdou Kolley Thursday get the approval of the National Assembly to take an extra D344.8 millions from government coffers to spend in sectors that nearly exhausts their budget in order to keep activities going there till the end of the year.
Called the supplementary appropriation, Minister Kolley explained that these include adjustment on personal expenditure, goods and services, and capital as an addition on 2009 appropriation. He however told deputies that government is quiet comfortable with spending since they could take from other sectors where spending has been low, but they are afraid to do so in the event their speeding picks-up.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 14 Sep 2009 19:04:30 |
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