APNU/AFC to submit nominees for NRF Board – PNC Leader

The Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) will be submitting its list of nominees to sit on the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Management Board with individuals it deems fit and qualified.

Leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Aubrey Norton told media operatives on Tuesday that the party is still to finalise the names from their end before submission. However, it would be submitted in time for the next Parliamentary Committee of Appointments meeting, scheduled for today.
“We are discussing it and at the next meeting, we will submit our names…If you have an effective one man on a Board, sometimes that one man can be very effective. So, we will do everything to ensure that our reps are effective but we understand the disadvantage with which we started…What we have to do is to put our nominees and work towards ensuring that they are professionally competent. I don’t think it is our task to express a view on those named by the PPP, except for the fact that they need to satisfy certain criteria that should’ve been set out,” Norton outlined.
In the Act, Section 5 (1) prescribes that the three-to-five-member Board is to be selected by the President – one of whom shall be elected Chairperson. Section 5 (2) notes that these persons shall be elected from persons who have wide experience and ability in legal, financial, business, or administrative matters – one of whom shall be nominated by the National Assembly and one of whom shall be a representative of the Private Sector.
In January, the process commenced through the Parliamentary Committee of Appointments to select one of the nominees for the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Board of Directors.
The Directors will hold the post for no more than two years with eligibility for reappointment, and all appointments, as well as changes in appointments, are to be gazetted and published on the Ministry’s website and in two daily newspapers.
The new Bill states that the Board of Directors will be responsible for the overall management of the Fund, reviewing and approving the policies of the Fund, monitoring the performance of the Fund, ensuring compliance with the approved policies of the Fund, and ensuring that the Fund is managed in compliance with the Act and all other applicable laws.
Moreover, the Board is also expected to report to the subject Minister, who is allowed to give policy directives as deemed necessary to their functions. In addition, the proposed legislation caters for the appointment of two committees, one of which is the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee, which will provide non-Government oversight of the Fund and comprises various civil society representatives who will have to present a report to the National Assembly annually.
It was after the NRF Bill was brought up for debate that chaos broke out in the National Assembly last December, in which members of the APNU/AFC attempted to steal the ceremonial mace. While the APNU/AFC coalition contended and remains fixated that the Bill was not successfully passed, this claim has already been debunked by Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir.
For Parliament to conduct its business in a lawful manner, a quorum and the Mace must be intact. At the time of the passage of the Bill, both were in place. The Government side was seated in the House when the vote was taken. The Bill has since been assented to by President Ali.
Despite selecting their nominees, Norton said the party still intends to pursue the matter in the court.
“We have got to ensure we have people there to scrutinise what is happening and, in that regard, we have agreed that we will nominate people while at the same to protest and signalling that we intend to challenge it in court.”
Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change – the junior coalition party – has also indicated willingness to sit on the Board.