Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said he hopes the Opposition party shows up to the parliamentary sitting on Monday where debates will commence on the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.
Earlier this week, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton announced that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Chance (APNU+AFC) Opposition would be boycotting Monday’s parliamentary sitting.
In light of this, the Finance Minister said he hopes the Opposition sees the importance of the LCDS 2030 and shows up.
Last year, President Irfaan Ali launched the updated LCDS 2030, which underwent seven months of consultation countrywide. Following consultations, it was tabled in the National Assembly on July 21, 2022.
The LCDS 2030 is an updated framework, which was first introduced in 2009 and updated in 2013 and is intended to map the path of a new growth trajectory in a non-polluting way.
“I would have liked again, still hopeful even if foolishly so, I’m still hopeful the opposition will come and add their voices to the debate of the Low Carbon Development Strategy.”
He continued, “I am hopeful that they will see the merit in the strategy, but we want their participation and contribution to the debate. We want to hear their perspective, and there will be things we inevitably may not agree with, and we want an opportunity to hear what those perspectives are,” Minister Singh added.
The Government is looking to have the National Assembly endorse the LCDS 2030 and support the approach to investing revenues from forest carbon markets through National Programmes and community/village-led programmes.
Once passed, 15% of all revenues from the forest carbon markets will go towards Amerindian communities.
The National Assembly, through its Committees, will then have oversight of all the national revenues received from forest climate markers and managed via the Consolidate Fund through the budgetary process.
“That, as you know, is a very important national strategy; it addresses the climate surfaces that our country is providing through our standing forests to the global community …. Translated into remuneration for the country and then in turn, how that remuneration can be deployed for the purposes of advancing development,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Constitution Reform Commission, Motor Vehicles, Road Traffic, and Intoxicating Liquor Licensing (Amendment) bills will be tabled for the first time on Monday.
