SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ORDER PAPER WEDNESDAY 17TH DECEMBER, 2014 __________________________________________________________________ PRAYERS PROCLAMATION OBITUARIES CONGRATULATORY REMARKS CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE SITTINGS HELD ON 24TH OCTOBER 2014 ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS REPORTS FROM SELECT COMMITTEE PAPERS 1. 2015 Estimates of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Honourable Prime Minister/Minister of Finance) QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWERS 1. The Honourable Arnhim Eustace, (Leader of the Opposition), to ask the Honourable Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, National Security, Legal Affairs and Grenadines Affairs: a) Please indicate the level of debt owed by the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to Venezuela under the Petro Caribe Oil facility as at June 30th; b) Where is the debt recorded in terms as on the National Debt given its not recorded in the Estimates for 2014; c) How much has been paid in interest and principal under the Loan facility and where is that recorded in terms of our National Debt Records. 2. The Honourable Arnhim Eustace, (Leader of the Opposition), to ask the Honourable Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, National Security, Legal Affairs and Grenadines Affairs: a) Briefly indicate the present status with respect to work on the Geothermal Project initiated by the Government. 3. The Honourable Arnhim Eustace, (Leader of the Opposition), to ask the Honourable Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, National Security, Legal Affairs and Grenadines Affairs: a) How many land owners at the Argyle Airport are yet to be compensated for their land; b) How much money is owed to such persons. 4. Dr. the Honourable Godwin Friday (Member for Northern Grenadines), to ask the Minister of Housing , Informal Human Settlements, Physical Planning, Lands and Surveys : A large area of government-owned lands located at Spring in Bequia is being developed for residential use. Will the Minister please state: a) How much land is being developed; b) The cost of the developing the lands, specifically installing roads, drains and utilities; and c) How National Properties is financing the development. 5. Dr. the Honourable Godwin Friday, (Member for Northern Grenadines), to ask the Honourable Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment : The re-opening of the Bequia Hospital has been delayed for a long time causing hardship and inconvenience to the public and hospital staff. Will the Honourable Minister please state: a) What is the status of the renovation work on the Bequia Hospital; b) Why its completion was so long delayed; c) When will it be re-opened. 6. Dr. the Honourable Godwin Friday, (Member for Northern Grenadines), to ask the Honourable Minister of Transport and Works, Urban Development and Local Government: The Roads in Bequia continue to deteriorate causing harm to the travelling public, taxi drivers and van operators, while the Government’s promises to fix them have not been fulfilled. Will the Honourable Minister please state when the following roads will be fixed: a) The Fort Hamilton (Point Hill) Road; b) The Mount Pleasant main road; and c) The Paget Farm main road especially the area at Bluff Point. 7. The Honourable Terrance Ollivierre, (Member for Southern Grenadines), to ask the Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Economic Development, National Security, Grenadines Affairs and Legal Affairs: On 17th November 2014 one of Mr. Nigel Forde’s employees received a letter on his behalf informing him to remove his moorings in the vicinity of Salt Whistle Bay before November 28th, 2014. Will the Minister please state: a) What are the reasons for such actions; b) Were Mr Forde and the residents of Mayreau consulted prior to the issuance of the letter about any upgrade and regularisation of the Tobago Cays Marine Park; c) What alternative has been offered to Mr. Forde and his employees who would have lost their means of earning their livelihood. 8. The Honourable Major St. Clair Leacock, (Member for Central Kingstown), to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Commerce and Information Technology: As the construction sector continues to lead in its contribution to our GDP, will the Minister please indicate how much has been the trade contribution as a result of: a) Construction material exported in the year 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 and as at September 30th 2014; b) Construction Services exported during the same period; c) How much have we paid for construction services imported over the same period. 9. The Honourable Major St. Clair Leacock, (Member for Central Kingstown), to ask the Minister of Housing, Informal Settlements, Lands and Surveys and Physical Planning: Could the Honourable Minister please explain the financial contractual arrangements between householders in the Clare Valley and Green Hill Project in terms of the following: a) How is the cost of the houses themselves financed; b) The cost of the lands; c) The value of the infrastructural cost per house to the home owner; d) Why are there delays in the completion dates for the Green Hill houses; e) What is the contributing to inability to pay the contractors and workers on these houses; f) What is the status of the missing monies from the HDLC. 10. The Honourable Major St. Clair Leacock, (Member for Central Kingstown), to ask the Honourable Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, National Security, Legal Affairs and Grenadines Affairs: In the 2014 Budget over 150 million dollars was estimated to be collected under Capital Receipts: a) How much of this amount was actually realised; b) Which capital projects if any were affected by the shortfall in other Receipts; c) Please explain why despite of increased revenue by approximately $70 million; between the years 2008 and 2014 there is a reduction in the provision of goods and services from $93 million in 2008 to $72 million in 2014. In other words why are taxpayers receiving less while paying more. 11. The Honourable Roland Matthews, (Member for North Leeward), to ask the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation: In the aftermath of the 2013 December floods the Honourable Prime Minister is on record stating that even if it’s a ‘fowl cock’ affected persons may have lost they must indicate such to him. Many farmers lost their produce, animals and farming equipment and are yet to receive any compensation. Will the minister please state: a) How many farmers have been compensated for losses suffered thus far; b) When will all farmers be fully compensated for loss suffered; c) What is the approximate cost to date for the affected farmers. 12. The Honourable Roland Matthews, (Member for North Leeward), to ask the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Sports and Culture: Severe infrastructural damage was done to the Cumberland Playing Field in December 2013 that will further delay the completion date. Will the minister please state: a) An estimated cost of the damages as incurred on this project; b) How soon will work commence on this project; c) When this project would be completed. 13. The Honourable Nigel Stephenson, (Member for South Leeward), to ask the Honourable Minister of Transport and Works: Given the fact that one house at the Clare Valley housing project has collapsed and another is to be demolished because of structural damage: a) Will the Honourable Minister of Housing please state how much money has been spent in restorative work at the housing scheme. 14. The Honourable Nigel Stephenson, (Member for South Leeward), to ask the Honourable Minister of Transport and Works: Now that work has begun to rehabilitate South Leeward Highway, there have been problems associated with the flow of traffic into Kingstown. Will the Honourable Minister of Transport and Works please state whether or not any work will be done on the Bonadie Hill road to facilitate the flow of traffic into Kingstown. 15. The Honourable Nigel Stephenson, (Member for South Leeward), to ask the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Sports and Culture: a) Will the Honourable Minister of Sports please give an update on the status of the National Stadium with respect to plans to make it a reality. 16. Honourable Vynnette Frederick, (Opposition Senator), to ask the Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Economic Development, National Security, Grenadines Affairs and Legal Affairs: In light of the shadow report done by the Université du Québec à Montréal’s (UQUAM) International Clinic for the Defence of Human Rights and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association presented to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its 61st session in which the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was criticized for, “not providing adequate protection to women,” Will the Minister please advise on government’s plan to address the following highlighted shortcomings and challenges, as detailed in the report:- a) The failure of the government to properly collect data on domestic violence complaints, and to make its information accessible to the general public; b) The failure of our domestic violence legislation to provide protection orders for persons in visiting relationships; c) The failure to address the need for more training of police officers in handling domestic violence complaints; d) The need for reviewing the breadth of the definition of rape to respond to the view that some women and girls, who are victims are denied protection under the existing law. 17. Dr. the Honourable Linton A. Lewis, (Opposition Senator), to ask the Honourable Minister of Health and the Environment: Due to the removal of sand at Brighton Bay there has been a constant erosion of the shoreline and neighbouring lands from the surge of sea water and blockage of the river mouth, will the Minister please state: a) whether there are any plans to avert further erosion of the shoreline and the neighboring lands and if so; b) what work is required to be carried out to effect those plans and; c) When will those plans be implemented. 18. Dr. the Honourable Linton A. Lewis, (Opposition Senator), to ask the Honourable Minister of Housing, Informal Settlements, Lands and Surveys and Physical Planning: a) Whether there are any plans to sell lands in the forestry area of the Glen/Fairhall community that runs alongside the Fair Hall Housing Scheme and if so; b) How many plots will be sold and; c) When will the sale of those plots begin. 19. Dr. the Honourable Linton A. Lewis, (Opposition Senator), to ask the Honourable Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, National Security, Legal Affairs and Grenadines Affairs: Given the unacceptable number of killings so far for the year and the number of persons who were killed from gunshot wounds and in the light of the fact that to date 37 persons have been killed, registering the largest number of persons to be killed in one year in the history of this country as a nation., will the Honourable Prime Minister please state: a) Whether there are any plans to substantially reduce the number of killings and if so; b) whether those plans are being implemented and; c) Whether efforts to apprehend the perpetrators of those killings have been successful. ORDERS OF THE DAY (Government Orders are marked thus*) MOTION 1*. 2015 ESTIMATES OF ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES To be moved by Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister/Minister of Finance. WHEREAS Section 70 (1) of the Constitution of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines provides that the Minister for the time being responsible for finance shall cause to be prepared and laid before the House of Assembly before, or not later than thirty days after, the commencement of each financial year estimates of the revenues and expenditure of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for that financial year; AND WHEREAS Section 70 (2) of the Constitution provides for the approval of the estimates of expenditure by the House; AND WHEREAS the Government had additionally decided to prepare estimates on a triennial basis. BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House of Assembly do adopt the Estimates for the financial year ending 31st December, 2015. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Honourable House note the projections for the financial years ending 31st December, 2016 and 31st December, 2017. BILLS 1*. Appropriation Bill, 2015. (Honourable Prime Minister/Minister of Finance) 1st Reading 2.* Julian Small Pension (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (Honourable Prime Minister/Minister of Finance) 1st Reading 3.* Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2014 (Honourable Prime Minister/Minister of Finance) 1st Reading RESOLUTIONS The Honourable Minister of Finance to move: 1. BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House do authorise the Minister of Finance to borrow by means of fluctuating overdraft or otherwise from First Caribbean International Bank or the RBTT Bank Limited or the Bank of Nova Scotia, or the Bank of St. Vincent Grenadines, money to an amount not exceeding in the aggregate fifty million dollars, during the period 1st January, 2015 to 31st December, 2015 for the purpose of meeting the current requirements of the Government. APPOINTMENT OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE ADJOURNMENT
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 01:40:09 +0000
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