Region 6 RDC passes $7B budget

– less money allocated for wages

The Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has approved a $7 billion budget proposal for 2017, with reduced amounts for wages.
Capital projects will amount to $1.1 billion and $5.8 billion will be allotted for salaries, maintenance, minor repairs and administrative costs.
The budget is being proposed under five headings – agriculture, public works, education, health and regional administration.
The RDC met on Monday and approved the budget which will see wages and salaries for the regional administration being cut from $65 million this year to $62 million next year; while for agriculture, it will be cut from $77 million this year to $72 million next year.
Wages and salaries budgeted under public works are being proposed at $31 million, compared with $35 million this year.
Nurses and those in the health sector will see $473 million being budgeted for salaries in 2017 as against $511 million which was budgeted in 2016. The budget for teachers’ salaries, however, shows an increase for next year. $1.85 billion has been budgeted for teachers’ salaries next year compared with $1.8 billion this year.
The major project proposed in the 2016 regional budget is an extension to the Amerindian hostel at Stanleytown. Regional Chairman David Armogan said $9 million has been budgeted for that project.
The hostel at Stanleytown caters for children from communities along the Berbice River. Children of Barakara – a community up the Canje River – who will be attending schools in New Amsterdam, will also be housed there.
Also in the budget proposal is a $9 million SUV for the Regional Chairman. Currently, Armogan is using a vehicle which is eight years old.
The regional budget proposals will be sent to the Communities Ministry for inclusion in that Ministry’s budget which will then be sent to the Finance Ministry, which is preparing the National Budget 2017. The National Budget is expected to be presented in Parliament in December. (Andrew Carmichael)