Parliament To Meet On Thursday 10th October 2019

House of Assembly Paper 9 of 2019

SVG Port Authority Financial Statement

Year ended December 31^st, 2019

(Dr the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves/Prime Minister)

House of Assembly Paper 10 of 2019

Supplementary Estimates 2019 (1 of 2019)

(Dr the Honourable Camillo Gonsalves/ Minister of Finance)

House of Assembly Paper 11 of 2019

Supplementary Estimates 2019 (2 of 2019)

(Dr the Honourable Camillo Gonsalves/ Minister of Finance)

House of Assembly Paper 12 of 2019

Supplementary Estimates 2019 (3 of 2019)

(Dr the Honourable Camillo Gonsalves/ Minister of Finance)

House of Assembly Paper 13 of 2019

Supplementary Estimates 2019 (4 of 2019)

(Dr the Honourable Camillo Gonsalves/ Minister of Finance)

House of Assembly Paper 14 of 2019

Supplementary Estimates 2019 (5 of 2019)

(Dr the Honourable Camillo Gonsalves/ Minister of Finance)

House of Assembly Paper 15 of 2019

Supplementary Estimates 2019 (6 of 2019)

(Dr the Honourable Camillo Gonsalves/ Minister of Finance)

House of Assembly Paper 16 of 2019

Supplementary Estimates 2019 (7 of 2019)

(Dr the Honourable Camillo Gonsalves/ Minister of Finance)

House of Assembly Paper 17 of 2019

Supplementary Estimates 2019 (8 of 2019)

(Dr the Honourable Camillo Gonsalves/ Minister of Finance)

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWERS

The Honourable Godwin Friday, (Leader of the Opposition), to ask the Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Legal Affairs, Grenadines Affairs and Energy:

Last year the Prime Minister said in this Honourable House that the Buccament Bay Resort would reopen by December 2018 and that he would have been disappointed if that did not occur. Almost a year later, the Resort is still not open. Will the Prime Minister please say:

What is the status of the proposed sale of the resort;
What has caused the long delay in reopening; and
Whether issues concerning title to the land used by the resort are a part of the problem and, if so, how are these issues being resolved.

The Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday, (Leader of the Opposition), to ask the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Sports and Culture:

The Maritime and Hospitality Institute has been under construction and development since 2011 with funding of over three million euros from the European Union. Our seafarers, many of whom work on cruise ships, must obtain and update their various seafarer certificates to enable them to obtain and continue their employment. Currently, because the courses are not offered in SVG, they must do them in Trinidad or elsewhere abroad, at considerable cost to themselves.

Will the Minister please state when the Institute will be completed and fully operational and say whether and when our seafarers will be able to do courses at the Institute in SVG and avoid the hassle and additional costs of doing them abroad.

The Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday, (Leader of the Opposition), to ask the Honourable Minister of Education:

Learning Resource Centers have been built in most constituencies. Yet, despite repeated requests by me in this Honourable House over the years and the serious need for the center in the community for teaching of continuing education, none has been conceived for or built in the constituency of Northern Grenadines.

Will the Minister please state if and when the Learning Resource Center for Northern Grenadines will be built.

The Honourable Terrance Ollivierre, (Southern Grenadines), to ask the Honourable Minister of Education.

Will the Honourable Minister please state:

(a)The names and addresses of contractors in the school repair program;

(b)The value of each contract in the school repair program; and

(c)Whether the program will be finished as schedule.

The Honourable Terrance Ollivierre, (Southern Grenadines), to ask the Honourable Minister of Education.

Will the Honourable Minister please state what mechanism including financial support has been put in place for the ongoing maintenance and repair of all educational institutions.

The Honourable Major St. Clair Leacock, (Central Kingstown), to ask the Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Development

The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has recently highlighted and emphasized its belief in a top down approach to economic development in its financing of two hotels to come on stream.

Would the Honourable Minister advice of the following:

(a) The ownership structure of both the Diamond and Peter’s Hope projects;

(b) The shareholding of the NIS and of National Properties if any;

(d) The nature of any management contract with major brands; and

(e) The payback period for the Diamond project (Hilton)

The Honourable Major St. Clair Leacock, (Central Kingstown), to ask the Honourable Prime Minister, Minister of National Security. Legal Affairs, Grenadines Affairs and Energy:

As the government advances the geothermal project, we continue to place emphasis on record our support for this investment. We however remain resolute that the finance agreement and the ownership structure are critical to the successful outcome.

(a) Will the Honourable Prime Minister confirm that VINLEC will now be a shareholder in the Geothermal Company;

(b) If in the affirmative, what is the new equity investment proposed for VINLEC in the context of the original 75% Emera and Reykjavik ownership;

(d) VINLEC has indicated that they would invest $40.million to bring the electricity from bamboo range to South Rivers, is this still the case; and

(e) How would the $160 million debt spoken of, at the launch be financed.

The Honourable Major St. Clair Leacock, (Central Kingstown), to ask the Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Development

The Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure (The Budget), remains one of the most important documents if not the most that comes before this Honourable House on an annual basis.

The credibility of the document has been called into question and so to its integrity. I draw to the attention of the Honourable Minister the figure $198,163,916.00, other Receipt, under Capital Receipts. In a subtotal of $410,743,508.00 of Capital Receipts.

I have also requested a consultation with the Director of Finance and Planning and the Budget Officer and enclosed and examined Recurrent and Development Estimate for 2019 which if confirmed as accurate shows that we have an estimated surplus on this year’s operation overall of $6,641,515.00 thereby requiring no loans.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Recurrent and Development Estimates 2019

Estimated Recurrent Revenue	$655,241,290
Estimated Recurrent Expenditure	$844,763,703
Less Debt Service Amortization	$205,788,543
Total Estimated Recurrent Expenditure	$638,975,160
Estimated Surplus (Deficit) 0n Year’s operation Recurrent	$24,266,130
Estimated Capital Receipts	$410,743,508
Estimated Capital Expenditure	$222,579,580
Estimated Surplus (Deficit) on Year’s Operation Capital	$188,163,928
Estimated Surplus (Deficit) on years Operation overall	$212,430,058
Financing Required	————-
Estimated Surplus on Year’s Operation Overall	$212,430,058
Less Debt service Amortization	$205,788,543
Financing required or not	$6,641,515

(a)To the extent we are confident or consider this growing figure Other Receipts, realistic or real.

Will the Honourable please state:

Why are we provisioning for loans to the tune of $161,684,790. 00, comprised of $89,515,010.00 external and $72,169,780.00 local.

The Honourable Nigel Stephenson, (South Leeward), to ask the Honourable Minister of Transport and Works.

On the eve of the opening of Argyle International Airport there was a grand announcement that the machines would be used to facilitate road repair, such that has never been seen in the country. Examples of roads listed for repairs were Maloney and Number 5. Since that announcement, the machines were categorized as scrap; Maloney has become a dense rainforest and parts of Number 5 have gone back to dirt.

Will the Honourable Minister please state when these roads will be fixed.

The Honourable Nigel Stephenson, (South Leeward), to ask the Honourable Minister of Transport and Works.

There are several unfinished concrete roads in Rillan Hill that are very discomfiting to walk whenever it rains heavily. The roads include Big Bush, the road at the Catholic Church going towards Kenton Chance’s residence and, the dirt footpaths below the cemetery.

Will the Honourable Minister please state when these roads will be fixed.

The Honourable Nigel Stephenson, (South Leeward), to ask the Honourable Minister of Health and the Environment.

The Campden Park Clinic has become an eyesore and residents and patients have been complaining bitterly of the need to have the facility repaired.

Will the Honourable Minister please state whether the clinic will be repaired and if yes when can work be expected to start.

The Honourable Kay Bacchus Baptiste (Opposition Senator) to ask of the Honourable Minister of Transport and Works:

The Dorsetshire Hill/Queen’s Drive road is in a deplorable condition. Not only there are ditches and potholes all over the road but, in some parts the road is very narrow and broken at edges creating dangerous embankments.

Will the Honourable Minister please say:

(a)If he is aware of the condition of this important road; and

(b) Whether there are plans to fix the road.

The Honourable Kay Bacchus Baptiste (Opposition Senator) to ask of the Honourable Minister of Transport and Works:

When road gangs cut the grass along the sides of the roads, the grass is left at the side of the roads for many weeks causing dangerous road conditions.

Will the Honourable Minister please say: (a) Why has this bad habit persisted; and

(b) What prevents arrangements being made for the grass to be removed immediately once cut.

The Honourable Kay Bacchus Baptiste (Opposition Senator) to ask of the Honourable Minister of Transport and Works:

The condition of the Villa/Fountain bypass road from the Gordon and Durham’s residence to the Vigie Highway is in a dilapidated and dangerous condition.

Will the Honourable Minister please state:

(a) If he is aware of the condition of this road; and

(b) When will the road be repaired.

The Honourable Israel R. Bruce (Opposition Senator) to ask of the Honourable Minister of Sports and Culture:

In the year 2018 during the Independence Celebrations, the Government announced an initiative dubbed ‘Sports against crime’.

Will the Honourable Minister please state:

What is the total amount spent thus far on this specific programme for the period January to June 2019;

(b) Can you give a breakdown on how this money was spent; and

(c) What is the current amount remaining on this programme to support sporting, civil society and community organizations engaging young people in sporting events?

The Honourable Israel R. Bruce (Opposition Senator) to ask of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Development.

Mindful of the need of a number of our young people to find technical and financial assistance to assist in bringing their entrepreneurial skills to the fore;

Will the Honourable Minister please state:

(a) What micro-credit initiatives are currently in place to support these young people in enhancing their business developmental skills;

(b) Will the Minister support the introduction of a National Developmental Bank for St Vincent and the Grenadines;

(c) If yes, how soon can the young and aspiring young people of this country see some measure being put in place to bring this idea to reality; and

(d) If no, what would be the reasons to justify your position.

The Honourable Israel R. Bruce (Opposition Senator) to ask of the Honorable Minister of National mobilization, Social Development, The Family and Youth.

Based on the efforts made to expand the National 4H programme;

Will the Honourable Minister provide an update as to:

(a) The number of active 4H /groups/movements throughout the country;

(b) The number of youth Inducted into the program for 2019; and

MOTIONS

1*. 2019 SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES OF ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES

To be moved by the Honourable Camillo Gonsalves, Minister of Finance.

WHEREAS Section 70(3) of the Constitution of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines provides for the laying of Supplementary Estimates before the House of Assembly if in respect of any financial year it is found that the amount appropriated by the Appropriation Law to any purpose is insufficient or that a need has arisen for expenditure for a purpose to which no amount has been appropriated by that Law; or that any moneys have been expended for any purpose in excess of the amount appropriated to that purpose by the Appropriation Law or for a purpose to which no amount has been appropriated by that Law;

AND WHEREAS Supplementary Estimates (Nos.1 to 8 of 2019) have been prepared and laid in the House of Assembly.

BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House do approve the Supplementary Estimates (Nos. 1 to 8 of 2019).

ORDERS OF THE DAY

(Government Orders are marked thus*)

1*. Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2019 1^st Reading