HGP Nightly News – The Speaker of the National Assembly revealed that livestreaming of parliamentary proceedings is currently provided free of charge by the state media, but indicated that special sittings may require Parliament to pay for outside broadcast services in the future.
The disclosure came during the Committee of Supply’s examination of the 2026 budget estimates on Monday, following questioning from APNU Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul. MP Mahipaul specifically asked whether Parliament was incurring costs for video production and streaming services.
In response, the Speaker clarified that the Department of Public Information (DPI) handles these services for regular sittings at no direct cost to the National Assembly. However, he noted that for “special sittings or additional livestreaming needs,” Parliament might have to rent services from an external provider.
The opposition MP also raised the issue of procuring new electronic devices, such as tablets or laptops, for ministers and new Members of Parliament. Minister of Governance Gail Teixeira responded that while funds were allocated for this purpose in the 2025 budget, Parliament did not utilize the available allocation.
The Speaker added that the matter would be addressed under capital expenditure. It was subsequently revealed, however, that there is no specific budgetary allocation under capital expenditure for new MP electronics in the 2026 fiscal plan.
The exchange highlighted ongoing scrutiny of parliamentary administrative costs and procurement processes as the legislature debates its own operational funding.
