The Standing Orders Committee of the House of Representatives last week discussed a number of issues pertinent to the closing of the current parliamentary year, the start of the new one, and the revised budget schedules.

The changes are obviously influenced by the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to Leader of the House, Phillip Paulwell, the annual ceremonial opening of Parliament will take place on Thursday, February 19.

It will be followed by the annual budget debate which will be opened by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr Peter Phillips, on Thursday, March 12. Other speakers in the debate will be: Opposition spokesman on Finance and Planning, Audley Shaw, on Tuesday, March 17; Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Holness, on Thursday, March 19; and, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller on Tuesday, March 24. Dr Phillip will close the debate on Wednesday, March 25.

The House will prorogue its 2014/15 session on February 17. But as Paulwell admitted, it still has a lot of work to complete its agenda by then, and a lot more to ensure that it meets the new deadlines for the 2015/16 budget.

The fact is that for the first time, the Minister of Finance and Planning will have to table a number of documents on February 19, when the new session begins. These include both the expenditure and revenue estimates (note that, in the past, the expenditure budget was tabled at that time, but the revenue budget was not tabled until the minister of finance speaks and explains how he is going to finance the budget); the Fiscal Policy Paper (FPP), which provides information on the economic out-turn of the previous financial year; the performance of the first quarter of the financial year; projections to the end of the current financial year; and projections for the succeeding financial year and the medium term; and, the debt management strategy.

The fact is that the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) and the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) will have to complete their oversight work by the end of March.

Paulwell says that the Auditor General’s report on the FPP will have to be tabled before the SFC meets on March 3.

The House Leader explained that the SFC, which is comprised of all 63 members of the House of Representatives, will be required to broaden its remit to deal with questions related to the FPP, the Auditor General’s report on the FPP, both the expenditure and the revenue estimates.

It is understood that the Ministry of Finance has suggested that the tax measures committee be dissolved, and those deliberations absorbed into SFC deliberations.

Another request that has been made by the Ministry of Finance, is that on the first day that the SFC meets, the first six hours be devoted to looking at the Ministry of Finance alone, especially the debt management strategy, the FPP including the Auditor General’s report and the estimates.

Subsequent time would be used for review of the other ministries grouped under the sessional committees — Economy and Production; Human Resources; and International and External Affairs, with about three hours designated to each.

The SFC is expected to sit for two days, but there is every likelihood that those deliberations will continue into a third day.

Paulwell says that the parliamentary budget process must be completed by March 31.

‘Convoluted’ speeches

Incidentally, if you are unable to connect with the language used in the budget debate and, in that case, Cabinet ministers’ statements, answers to questions and reports to Parliament, don’t consider it a cerebral issue, because parliamentarians seem to be having the same problems too.

On Tuesday, January 13, after Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Anthony Hylton, had tabled a Green Paper on the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and made a statement to the House of Representatives on the contents and objectives of the Ministry Paper, Opposition spokesman on Industry and Commerce, Karl Samuda, rose to respond.

“I am always concerned about the level of sophistication in the use of the language that emerges from the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC),” Samuda said.

“When I read this statement, I said to myself, ‘why does the minister allow himself to be so engaged in such language that escapes 99 per cent of this Honourable House?’ I looked around and there was not a single member that was paying attention!” he stated.

“I tell you minster, the reason why is because the language is too convoluted and It is too unnecessary,” he added.

The language used in these statements, obviously written by civil servants, also seems to be a hurdle for the ministers themselves, considering their slow, pedantic approach. Probably, the ministers who often make statements need more captivating speechwriters, and could take a cue from the more appealing statements from colleagues like Education Minister, Ronald Thwaites.

This week’s Gordon House schedule

Tuesday, January 27: 9:00 am — Constituency Development Fund (CDF); 10:00 am — Internal & External Affairs Committee; Noon — Standing Orders Committee (House); 2:00 pm — Sitting of the House of Representatives;

Wednesday, January 28: 10:00 am – Public Administration & Appropriations Committee (PAAC); 2:00 pm — JSC on the “Road Traffic Act 2014”; Thursday, January 29: 10:00 am — JSC (Joint Select Committee) on the “Integrity Commission Act 2014”; Friday, January 30: 9:00 am — Standing Orders Committee (Senate); 10:00 am — Sitting of the Senate.

PAULWELL … House still has work to complete agenda