PARLIAMENT had passed the Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2015 after a deliberation through a committee of supply and was set down for a third reading by the Speaker Ajilon Nasiu.
The Bill seeks Parliament’s approval of an additional supplementary expenditure of one hundred and ninety five million, seven hundred and forty thousand, and one hundred and thirty one dollars (SDB$135, 740, 130.00).
Government would use the supplementary funds authorized under the 2015 Appropriation Act 2015 to meet mandatory costs for goods and services up to the end of the financial year ending 31st December 2015.
The Minister of Finance and Treasury Snyder Rini explained that certain budgetary provisions in the Appropriation Bill had to be amended to put the budgetary estimates into correct order to avoid errors made during formulation of the budget.
The 2015 Supplementary Bill sought parliamentary approval to regularize $36,995,768 provided through Contingency Warrant; $20,291,159 through advance warrant and additional expenditures of $138,453,186 through new appropriations.
“This Bill includes reductions to non-essential programs totalling $12,346,138. I noted that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) highlighted in its deliberations that the practice of providing funds for offsetting unforseen costs is in effect reprioritizing the existing appropriations. This reflects good financial management and I thank them for this observation,” he said.
Mr Rini told Parliament that the Supplementary Bill 2015 has been prepared for the current sitting of Parliament as required under section 102 (3) of the Constitution and section 51 of the public Financial Management Act 2013.
By ELLIOT DAWEA