Parliament approves additional appropriation to budget [Archives:2005/901/Local News]

SANA'A, Dec. 7 – The Parliament approved Sunday YR451 billion additional appropriation to the state budget of 2005, rating a proportion of 54% of the estimated expenditures of the budget. The approval move was endorsed by 149 MPs, all from the ruling party, and rejected by 55 MPs from opposition, independent and the ruling party.

The approval came after two days of heated discussion and bickering between opposition and the ruling party MPs.

In a statement published Sunday, opposition and independent blocs in the parliament warned against what they described as frivolous policies the government pursues in squandering public revenues. The statement also accused the government of luxurious spending that often in benefit of corrupt forces. They said consequences of that policy predicted of a catastrophe leading to collapse of the social and economic structure.

Opposition and independent blocs confirmed that their rejection of the additional appropriation was out of their full keenness on interests of the people threatened by the government that does not observe the constitution, the law and public interest.

Rejection of the additional appropriation, the statement mentioned, was because of many constitutional and legal violations among which are: the government's violation of the constitution by spending the appropriation before being endorsed by the parliament, violation of the parliament's resolution of setting aside the differences in oil prices into a special account not to draw ion it but after approval of the parliament. They also said the government violated terms of the law regulating additional appropriations that restricted it to the narrowest limits.

The statement said the government provisions of the law of tenders through giving contracts to directly to contractors without tender invitations. The statement mentioned the government did not abide by the principle of scientific planning in preparation of budgets and intentionally demonstrated deficits in expenditure so that it would be easy for it to manipulate in revenues through asking for loans. The statement moreover mentioned that despite of adoption of price doses on oil products, there has been an allocation for subsidizing oil products with an amount of YR237 billion in addition to YR44 billion in the budget of 2005.

The statement of the opposition and independent blocs in parliament concluded that the additional appropriation could open widely the doors for corruption, increase inflation and affect exchange prices. They held the government responsible for the negative consequences of the additional appropriation.
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