By Clint Chan Tack Friday, September 3 2010

FINANCE MINISTER Winston Dookeran will present the 2011 Budget in the House of Representatives around 2 pm next Wednesday. According to the House Order Paper for that day’s sitting, The Appropriation Bill 2010, the Budget, is the only piece of legislation carded for debate.

However before Dookeran presents the Budget, Energy Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan will field a question from Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley about the Alutrint aluminium smelter project. Rowley wants Seepersad-Bachan to tell the country whether or not Government will stop the project which was started under the PNM.

Should the answer be yes, Rowley is asking Seepersad-Bachan to say what contracts and other agreements will be affected by the decision; the total estimated financial costs to be incurred by the Government as a result of any cessation of the smelter project and how Government intends to deal with any loss of employment opportunities arising from the closure of the project.

Rowley will be the first Opposition MP to respond to Dookeran in the Budget debate which could take place as early as September 13. The debate is expected to last one week in the House and another week in the Senate. By law, the Budget must be passed in both Houses of Parliament by October 31.

While the House’s finance committee met prior to the presentation of the last two budgets under the former PNM government, Newsday was reliably informed that the committee will not meet before Dookeran unveils the 2011 Budget.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and all members of Government are currently in Tobago attending a workshop at the Coco Reef Hotel. The workshop ends on Sunday and sources said there are no plans at this time for the House finance committee, which comprises all 41 MPs, to meet either next Monday or Tuesday.

The committee meets to close off the country’s accounts for the previous fiscal year but this did not necessarily have to be done before the budget is presented. Once the budget has been passed, the Government will turn its attention to legislative proposals for a new public procurement policy, the Anti-Gang Bill 2010 and amendments to the Bail Act and the Summary Courts Act. The latter three pieces of legislation will be piloted by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan.

At a later date, Seepersad-Bachan will open debate on a bill to restructure pension arrangements at state oil company Petrotrin.