| – APNUA Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Friday, laid blame squarely at the government’s feet for some instances of non-completion of works and inadequate funding in Regions that are chaired by its members.At a press conference held at the APNU’s Hadfield Street, Georgetown headquarters, Region Four Chairman, Clement Corlette; Region Seven Chairman, Gordon Bradford, and Region Ten Chairman, Sharma Solomon, shared the spotlight with party executives Lance Carberry and Shadow Minister of Local Government, Ronald Bulkan.The APNU press briefing in session yesterdayThe forum was intended to highlight the experiences of APNU’s controlled Regional Democratic Council.According to Carberry,Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping, Government has over the years assumed a reputation for failing to release resources early enough to allow the opposition chaired regions to fully exploit their proposals for development.“They release resources very late in the year…and then at the end of the year because the programme has not been fully implemented, the Government then goes and claims that the Region is returning these resources.”Carberry explained that according to financial regulations any resource not used by the end of the year must be returned to the nation’s treasury.However, Carberry pointed to the fact that the Regions have this year conducted very careful programmes based on consultations with their constituents. He added that the Government is often guilty of frustrating such efforts by devises such as the late release of funds.He posited, too, that Government has in the past gone on recording claiming that “the Regions are incompetent because they haven’t implemented the programmes and it is really because of deliberate frustration by Government.”In presenting his Region Four budget plans Corlette said the experiences with the work of the Clerk/Regional Executive Officer currently leaves much to be desired.He said that the officer seems determined to promote his own agenda and is reluctant to account for expenditures not approved by the RDC. The Regional Chairman also added that the officer “acts outside the mandate of the RDC on occasions and readily resist request to account.”He said that with regards to the 2013 Work Programme and Budget preparations,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, a cursory review of the decision of the RDC and the submissions forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for consideration indicated that the REO may have altered the projects the RDC approved and substituted his own request.According to Corlette the Council will this year continue to scrutinise the prevailing development.The Region Four budget is prepared with the vision of improving the health,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, living conditions and socio economic environment of communities.The principal objective of the budget, Corlette said, is to prepare a Work Programme for each of the Government structured subject areas of activity including that of administration and finance, agriculture development via drainage and irrigation, maintenance and management, public works,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, health and education.‘Charting the course for a better life for all our people by 2016’ is the theme under which the proposed Region Seven’s budget has been prepared, according to Bradford. He said that the budget was prepared after consultations with the various stakeholders throughout the region including Regional Councillors who represent various constituencies, Village Councils, Regional Officers,Wholesale Jerseys 2017, Heads of Department and concerned citizens.Among the areas to be addressed in the budget are extensive repairs to the Regional Guest House and improvement works to the Bartica Regatta Pavilion both to the tune of $10M each. A number of schools and health facilities are also slated to undergo works.According to Bradford, it is hoped that the 2013 Regional Budget will receive the full support of all involved, especially Central Government as “our Budget is crafted by the people for the people, with a vision of satisfying the needs and aspirations of our people thus offering a better life for all.”The preparation of the Region Ten budget saw consultation efforts being carried out in 92 communities which were conducted since earlier this year, according to Solomon.This move, according to him will see much focus being placed on infrastructure, agriculture,NFL Jerseys China, education as well as health and service.Solomon said that consulting with communities became necessary as the RDC was especially concerned when the 2012 Work Programme was considered. He pointed to the fact that the RDC’s observation is that, the REO acts more in consonance with the Local Government Ministry than with the RDC.Citing instances of corruption that have been detected Solomon also spoke of the need for councillors to be allowed more involvement in the execution of the work programme than they currently are if programmes are to be properly implemented in the Region. |
