With the People's National Congress REFORM boycott of the 2002 budget debate, consideration of estimates of expenditure in Parliament was concluded in just over an hour yesterday compared to the two to three days usually allotted.

This paved the way for passage of the appropriations bill authorising the $68B budget presented by Finance Minister Saisnarine Kowlessar to the National Assembly on March 15.

Most of the estimates for ministries, departments and regions were approved without any questions asked by the two opposition members of parliament present ROAR MP, Ravi Dev and GAP-WPA MP, Shirley Melville.

Dev had a question under expenditure for the Public Service Appellate Tribunal as according to him there is an estimate for monies to be spent on the resurfacing of the compound and funds were spent last year for the exact project. Prime Minister Sam Hinds replied that the resurfacing of the compound is being done in phases.

The ROAR representative also questioned Minister of Youth, Sport & Culture, Gail Teixeira as to whether there were plans for an Indian Heritage museum to be built and she answered by informing him that that is the direction her ministry would be moving towards in the next two to three years.

Dev also wanted to know if the Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj would be looking at equipping the Guyana Police Force with more riot gear to better deal with "riots". Gajraj assured him that the government would be providing more riot gear for the police.

Melville questioned Minister of Local Government, Harripersaud Nokta on if his ministry would be focusing on repairing land transport at Lethem and he answered in the affirmative.

And in answer to a question from Dev, Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, said that an organisational structure for suicide-prone persons would be included under the chronic diseases subhead.

Before the session came to an end, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Reepu Daman Persaud thanked Clerk of the National Assembly, Frank Narain for his dedicated service in Parliament. This was Narain's last national budget as Clerk of the assembly as he has already given notice of resignation. He has been a public servant for just over 51 years.

Persaud said that Narain had been very helpful to all and he has served the assembly for over a decade. Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran also joined Persaud in praising Narain for his years of service.