Government appropriates additional Lm18.6m

The government is to appropriate Lm18.6 million over and above the estimates approved in the Budget for this year, parliament was informed yesterday.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in his capacity as Minister of Finance informed the House of the appropriation in a notice issued for the first time in terms of amendments to the Financial Administration and Audit Act, approved by parliament amid strong opposition objections a few months ago.

The amendments provided that the government may appropriate funds not exceeding 10 per cent of the total sum appropriated for the financial year in the Budget.

Lm9 million of the newly appropriated amount will be spent on foreign affairs, Lm4.4 million on health, Lm1.32 million on justice and home affairs and Lm1.3 million on resources and the infrastructure.

The rest will be used as follows: Ministry of Education Lm650,000; education Lm110,000; finance and economic affairs Lm354,000; economic policy Lm54,000; correctional services Lm100,000; information technology and investment Lm328,000; youth and the arts Lm235,000; office of the prime minister Lm470,000; and Gozo Lm268,000.

Such additional appropriation may be made by the government when the funds voted in the Budget are insufficient; when a need would have arisen for which no amount was provided in the Budget, or when funds would have been spent on either of the two circumstances.

The provision of these additional funds may be partially or wholly offset by lower expenditure under the same or other expenditure votes by the end of the year, Dr Gonzi said.