By Sue-Ann Wayow
FOR fiscal 2022, several sections of the Ministry of National Security have received significant decreases in their allocations and should there be a need for an increased allocation, the ministry will rely on the mid-year review of the Budget.
This is according to National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds who said the ministry would have made its financial request to the Ministry of Finance but will work with the amount allocated taking the financial constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic into consideration.
On Wednesday, the Standing Finance Committee continued in Parliament with Hinds in the hot seat answering questions asked by the Opposition members.
They noted that under several sections of overtime and salaries and cost of living, there were decreases in the sum of several millions even though for some, more persons were hired.
The Opposition questioned if given the importance of those areas in the fight against crime, if those allocations would be sufficient.
The Ministry of National Security was allocated $2,202,016,400 for fiscal 2022.
Hinds said, “We are trying generally speaking to make adjustments to our consumption of money even through overtime across the national security and secondly we know that where it becomes necessary, we must be able to access it by way of the mid-term review.”
For fiscal 2021, under Prison Service, there was salaries and COLA (Cost of Living Allowance), the budgeted amount was $305 million for salaries and COLA, but the actual spent was $413 million, Member of Parliament for Pointe-a-Pierre David Lee pointed out, a shortfall of $110 million.
Hinds said, “We would have wanted to have it but circumstances in the Ministry of Finance did not allow it.”
Finance Minister Colm Imbert interjected with an explanation.
Imbert said, “In the mid-year exercise, we supplemented the appropriation for this particular ministry, a substantial sum of money, several hundred million dollars, and quite often when the estimates are prepared, not every supplementary appropriation is brought to book.
“In the closing of the accounts which will take place in a couple of months, the final expenditure for 2021 fiscal will be reflected in those documents but at this point in time, what I can say is if you go back to the mid-year review you will see that this ministry was supplemented significantly, around June of this year.”
Hinds repeated explanation of reliance on the mid-year budget review for supplementation did not sit well with Member of Parliament for Naparima Rodney Charles.
Charles told the minister, “We have figures in front of us, and every year we are told, don’t take on these figures because in the mid-year review, we will change and what not.
“What we are seeing as in the case of the overtime, where there is clearly, a situation that has to be budgeted for, it is not because you could rely on the excuse that you are going to change it in the mid-year review. I think that is unacceptable.”
Hinds said, “Every single public officer, in the Ministry of National Security would have received their salaries on time every month notwithstanding the financial constrains we have had as a nation to resolve through the pandemic… Everyone would be paid for the foreseeable future.”
