Parliament: Supplementary Budget of Rs 2 Billion Raised Questions

 Special session only approved Supplementary Bill , this Tuesday, October 29th Parliament.This bill, introduced for first reading last Tuesday, just endorse expenses exceeded for various reasons, budgetary appropriations voted in the previous year. Xavier-Luc Duval, the finance minister, has sought to explain the reasons behind this additional budget of Rs 2.08 billion.During the discussion, members of the opposition Kee Chong Li Kwong Wing and Mahen Seeruttun lambasted these expenses.

To Kee Chong Li Kwong Wing, "ask parliamentarians to vote this supplementary budget is an undemocratic act because the money to do what has already been spent. Especially since the government has made only 92% of projects announced for the year 2013 " . According to him, the Prime Minister must establish a Fact Finding Committee, because there areas that have not realized the projects adopted in the presentation of the 2013 budget. He cited the Water Resources Unit who had obtained an allocation of Rs 1.9 billion, but spent only Rs 921 million.While the population is suffering due to lack of water. Rs 300 million had also been granted for the social but only Rs 200 million homes were burned.

MP Mahen Seeruttun is, he dwelt on a supplementary budget of Rs 37 million will be added to the Rs 70 million already approved last December to purchase cars for senior executives in the public service. "Rs 107 million for cars so that there are families who are unable to feed their children. There is also an additional sum of Rs 11 million trips. So we had already voted Rs 96 million for this item. "

Explaining that extra budget, Xavier-Luc Duval noted that "16 items requested additional budget. The sum of Rs 700 million was set aside for the purchase of the building of Air Mauritiusby the State Investment Corporation , but the purchase does not happen. The money is still in government coffers " . He added that an additional amount of Rs 300 million was needed for the salaries of civil servants and about Rs 1 billion has been distributed to various departments. The Minister of Public Infrastructure Group has obtained Rs 475 million during the year to improve the water drainage system and roads.

In the chamber, after the debates, it is now working to analyze the item costs per item.