Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh as he reported to the Speaker on the Committee?s approval of the expenditure.?as additional US$12M expenditure approvedBy Gary EleazarThe National Assembly yesterday approved the additional expenditure of in excess of US$12M for various Ministries, but not before a grueling debate in the National Assembly.Winston MurrayAgriculture Minister Robert Persaud, in face of accusations of a lack of transparency on the part of the Administration, said that the debate in the House illustrates ?ultra transparency? given the fact that members of the ruling administration are available to be questioned on details of the expenditures.Shadow Finance Minister Winston Murray who led the opposition questions in the debate chided the administration for what he called a ?misleading 2010 Budget?.He explained that several of the provisions being sought in the supplementary request have nothing to do with the originally voted provisions in the 2010 Budget, and were not accompanied with the corresponding profile document that would seek to clarify this.Murray said that whilst he was not opposed to the actual projects that would be funded, he was critical of the manner in which the money was being sought and greater clarification should have been provided for the sake of better transparency.One such allocation scrutinised at yesterday?s sitting of the House was an additional sum for the additional works at the Intelligence Service Unit (ISU) at Castellani House.Murray said that money in the Budget for that location was for the extension of security barracks at Castellani House and no mention was made for that ISU.Junior Finance Minister Jenifer Webster explained that no the original provisions for the ISU was approved in 2009, but it was due to unforeseen circumstances that they now need the additional $17.3M to complete the venture.She pointed to the need for wiring and transformers among other items.Another request that irked Murray was one of $7.9M for the installation of water and electricity at the Amerindian Student dormitory given the fact that the project profile in the budget said that the money at that time was for the completion of the building.He said that for the Minister to ask for more money to be injected into that project would make the Budget misleading since in that profile the total cost for the project was defined and the additional money will change that.Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai insisted that the Budget was in no way misleading given the fact that the money in the budget was to complete the building, which was done, and that the money being asked for was for the installation of electricity and water.This response by Sukhai prompted Murray to question if the utility services were not envisaged as part of the completed Student Dormitory.The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, upon request by Murray did provide a very revealing breakdown for the $184M request to be used at the Providence National Stadium.According to Dr Anthony $104M will be used to pave a tarmac which will have multiple purposes.He explained that the tarmac will bear markings in such a way that when it is not being used as a parking area for events, it will be used as volleyball and basketball courts.The additional $80M Dr Anthony told the house will be used to sandblast the steel structures of the Stadium to get rid of rust and it will be repainted with anti-corrosive material.The Ministry of Public Works and Communication was the biggest beneficiary from this latest approval for expenditure to the tune of some $1.5B for the building of miscellaneous roads.This is in addition to just over $1.4B that the Ministry already received by way of budgetary allocations.Some $35M was also approved for development of agricultural lands in Essequibo,[url=http://www.cheapjerseysshare.us@#$%&/]NFL Jerseys Authentic[/url], $36M and for the purchase of a long boom excavator to be used in Wakenaam.The two Financial Papers totaling some $2,426,470,077 were eventually approved and the Supplementary Appropriations Bill passed, signaling the House?s stamp of approval.The resort to Financial Supplementary papers has long been criticized.Members of the Opposition have been questioning the validity of the manner in which the moneys are used given that the expenditure, according to them, does not fit the criteria.Section 41 (3) of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act says that the Finance Minister, who is the sole authority to do so, may make such a withdrawal, ?when satisfied that an urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen need for expenditure has arisen:-(a) for which no moneys have been appropriated or for which the sum appropriated is insufficient;(b) for which moneys cannot be reallocated as provided for under this Act; or (c) which cannot be deferred without injury to the public interest, may approve a Contingencies Fund advance as an expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund by the issuance of a drawing right.?******************************Students of Mahdia Secondary to write CXC for the first timeFor the first time ever in the history of Mahdia, students attending the community?s Secondary School will be allowed to write the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC).According to Regional Executive Officer of Region 8, Ishwar Dass, the school was only gazzetted a year ago, thus paving the way for students to write the examination.The Mahdia Secondary School has been operational since 2001 but no student has ever written the examination. In the past, Mahdia Secondary only facilitated students from forms One to Four.Also, only students who were successful at the National Grade Six Assessment and awarded a place at the Paramakatoi Secondary School, were given the opportunity to sit CXC. The batch of 18 students will be writing the five basic subjects – Mathematics, English, Social Studies,[url=http://www.nfljerseyscheaponline.us@#$%&/]Wholesale Jerseys Online[/url], Business Administration and Agricultural Science.All students attending Mahdia Secondary are now being afforded the opportunity to complete their secondary education at the institution. Dass further pointed out that because of the fact that students in Mahdia and other surrounding communities were not given the opportunity to sit CXC they were force to drop out of school at fourth form and do nothing for prolonged periods or prematurely go into mining.?Mining is not a bad thing but we believe in giving children the option of getting a sound education.?He explained too that as part of the whole new initiative the once non-functional dormitory at Mahdia Secondary is now up and running. Dass opined that now that students will be allowed to write CXC, more and more will be attending the school. The dormitory he said will accommodate students from far-flung communities including El Paso, Micobi, Princeville and Muruwa.In addition, Dass said there are still some issues in the area of education that the region is currently faced with. One of the major issues he emphasized is untrained teachers. Currently, he noted, the region is working with 15% trained teachers.He gave assurances that the regional officials are working assiduously to remedy the situation. Currently the region has some 31 persons who are attending the Cyril Potter College of Education. He further explained that they are working on getting an additional 63 students into CPCE.?For the last entrance examination the 63 persons we had failed the Mathematics and English but we are currently working with them on a remedial course so the next examination we hope to get some more trained teachers.?Dass also revealed that efforts are being made to have a teachers? training centre in the Region so that persons desirous of attending an institution similar to the CPCE will not have to relocate.******************************Man gets 18 months for unlawful woundingArthur Taylor was yesterday sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.Taylor appeared before Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates Court.It is alleged that Taylor, on July 31, with intent to maim, disfigure or cause bodily harm viciously wounded Colin Klass.The unrepresented accused pleaded guilty to the chargePolice Prosecutor Stephen Telford, told the court, that on the day in question the two men were consuming alcohol when an argument ensued.The court was further told that Taylor stabbed Klass several times about the body.And Delon King, who was accused of stealing over $9M worth of articles from a supermarket, also appeared before Magistrate Beharry.King, on November 2,[url=http://www.wholesalenfljerseyssale.us@#$%&/]Cheap NFL Jerseys[/url], 2008,[url=http://www.cheapjerseysshare.us@#$%&/]NFL Jerseys Supply[/url], allegedly broke and entered the supermarket of Tony Ramkumar and stole the items.Prosecutor Telford objected to bail. According to him, King was a security guard at the supermarket when the incident happened. He said that the accused was only arrested two days ago, which would make him a flight risk if bail is granted.King has been remanded and will make another court appearance on August 9.Meanwhile,[url=http://www.chinanfljerseysauthentic.us@#$%&/]Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale[/url], Andy Cavrio was also denied bail when he appeared before Magistrate Beharry, charged with incurring debt.The allegation is that on July 22, he incurred a debt of $9,400 in items he took from Zalena Rasool.The court was told that on the day in question, Cavrio went to the woman?s beverage shop and purchased several items.It was further noted that the virtual complainant after handing over the items to Cavrio, inquired about her money.He in turn told the woman, that he didn?t have the money to pay her.The prosecutor did not oppose bail. He said that the man went to the shop and collected the items and refused to pay for them.The magistrate subsequently told Caviro that he had to pay $15,[url=http://www.chinanfljerseysauthentic.us@#$%&/]Cheap NFL Jerseys China[/url],000 or face two weeks imprisonment.