By Gary EleazarFinance Minister Dr Ashni Singh yesterday made his presentation/rebuttal to the 2012 BudgetFinance Minister Dr Ashni Singhdebates where he sought to rip through the arguments put forward by the opposition.“With a few exceptions” he acknowledged but condemned the majority of opposition presentations as “political grandstanding.”The Finance Minister however closed his presentation on a completely different tone from the one with which he started and commenced to plead with the opposition to use its ‘scissors’ judiciously as it attempts to make cuts to the $192.8B Budget.Already the Alliance for Change (AFC) Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, has outlined some $3B (US$15M) to be placed on the chopping block.Dr Singh in wrapping up his presentation urged the combined Opposition, “Don’t use the power of the majority of one, to cut solely for the purpose of cutting. It is the people of Guyana who benefit from the services provided. Join us, and if we were to be guided by the platitude offered, there is still some hope.”The Finance Minister called on the House, particularly the combined opposition, to not wield the “tyrannical emblem of the dictator of one, the scissors, capriciously.”He said that were the opposition to do so they would be “venturing perilously close to squandering the golden opportunity that presents itself with the new dispensation in the House”.Dr Singh cautioned that even if the opportunity would have been lost during the past days of “political grandstanding” in the House, “it would be my sincere hope that over the next six days there would be judicious and responsible conduct”.He said that as the combined opposition gets set to make its cuts to the 2012 Budget, it must be borne in mind that the allocations speak to important government programmes.POLITICAL GRANDSTANDINGAs the Finance Minister opened his presentation he immediately acknowledged the Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, David Granger’s presentation,Alexander Nylander Jersey, which he conceded as the only statesman-like presentation to the House from the Opposition benches and said that it was rich with positive contributions.The Finance Minister took specific umbrage to charges made by the ranks in the AFC benches, particularly that of the party Chairman Ramjattan and Dr Singh’s longstanding parliamentary colleague formerly on the same side of the House, Moses Nagamootoo.In taking Ramjattan to task, Dr Singh told the House that “we must not be shy of embracing objectives when we agree with them and we must not oppose some for the cause or purpose of opposing.”He said that the Budget debate is never intended to be an exercise in intellectual exhibition or a contest of linguistic or oratory versatility.“Tragically, with a few exceptions,Cheap Jerseys From China, it is my own estimation that my colleagues on that side of the House missed the opportunity completely,” Dr Singh retorted.NICIL,China Jerseys Wholesale, GGMC PRIVATE ACCOUNTSSpeaking directly to the charges made by Ramjattan as it relates to finances being hoarded outside of the Consolidated Fund, hence not being fully represented in the Budget, and the need for this to happen, the Finance Minister indicated that the administration was satisfied with the current arrangement and signalled that it will not change.According to the Finance Minister, all of the agencies that the Parliamentarian referred to are registered and operate under the Companies Act of Guyana.He said that these companies are public corporations and as such arguing that their revenues are not reflected in the budget is akin to arguing for the Guyana Sugar Corporation or the Guyana Power and Light’s revenue streams to be reflected in the Budget.Dr Singh insisted that each of the agencies are subject to the relevant audits and reports under the Act and while it may not be as timely as the opposition would like they are being undertaken.He made no clear commitment to have any of the monies controlled by the separate agencies to be transferred to the Consolidated Fund.Dr Singh insists that the Budget is a reflection of the expenditures and programmes for Central Government which are specific budget agencies, such as the Ministries.He said that Central Government is designed by statute to have boundaries, and as such, NICIL and GGMC are within regulations to control the monies under its purview.Central Government’s budget, he explained,Wholesale NBA Jerseys China, is not one that includes entities that are separate or established under a statute.MARRIOTT AND AMAILA FALLS HYDROOn the issue of the proposed Georgetown Marriott Hotel, Dr Singh said that it was disappointing to see that even after the Government has made available volumes of documentat