| The parliamentary opposition parties yesterday flayed the government’s 2010 budget, describing it as lacking in substance and doing nothing to ease poverty.The almost $143B budget, the country’s biggest budget ever, was long on words yet did nothing to improve the quality of life for Guyanese people, said Winston Murray, a Member of Parliament and Shadow Finance Minister of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).Highly critical of the budget presentation by Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, the Parliamentarian noted that everyday more and more people are sliding towards poverty. Last year, nothing was done about easing the plights of the pensioners with a six-percent increase only effective January 1, this year.Nothing was also said in the budget to address the “level of corruption” where huge sums are being leaked from the system to the “pockets of cronies” of the government, Murray noted. He criticised the long overdue establishment of the Public Procurement Commission, which after five years is still languishing.“What they are doing is the same ad-hoc ways in coping with the existing conditions.”In the education sector, Murray noted that there seems to be a political reason for holding several training sessions for youths and others while at the same time leaving key institutions like the Government Technical Institute, the New Amsterdam Technical Institute and Critchlow Labour College sidelined, instead of strengthening them.Promising a deep analysis by the PNCR for the budget debate scheduled for Monday, Murray was convinced that Minister Singh’s presentation was lopsided, only talking about what has been achieved by government and disregarding the crucial issue of wages and salaries for workers.One example was the issue of the high production of rice of 360,000 tonnes last year. What the budget and the Minister failed to note is that the rice price fell drastically leaving many farmers contemplating their next move.In the sector of the non-traditional produce, almost all the areas show downward trends over the years despite the “glib talks” of Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, in his visits across the country.Turning his attention to the Skeldon sugar factory, the Parliamentarian criticised the high production cost of over 25 cents per pound. Government had promised to bring this down to about 11 cents and was working to stabilise it in the 15 cents range. “The reality is that there is not much time remaining and if sugar price falls on the world market, the viability of the industry will be even further threatened.”In addition to this, the defects liability period is coming to an end in March and unless the government manages to iron out all the faults and have them addressed, there will be trouble. The PNCR official also questioned the technical capabilities of Guyana to address the issues after the liability period would have ended. Currently,nba jerseys discount, the multi-million facility still is facing several technical issues.The budget also demonstrated the failure to address or increase the tax threshold. While it is one thing to talk about no new taxes, the reality is that a recent six percent increase to government workers saw them only actually getting four per cent since a third would be going back to taxes. It has been three years now since an increase in the tax threshold despite the inflation rate steadily rising.Regarding the Value-added tax (VAT), Murray believed that this was a millstone around the neck of Guyana although it produced a revenue windfall that went beyond the expectations of the administration. The government is spending like “money going out of style” in areas that have no relevance to the efforts to taking people out of poverty.Meanwhile, Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) party, Raphael Trotman, was convinced that Minister Singh himself was not too “enthused” by his presentation. The budget provided a disappointment “nothing new” to the people of Guyana and was the usual cocktail of “poisonous ingredients.”Not only did it not address new opportunities for young people, but it failed miserably to address what most people would have been expecting- the raising of the tax threshold limit.“We will continue to study the budget,” Trotman said, pointing out that it clearly lacks a trail of vision despite the schools being built. Additionally, the various industries continued to be plagued by problems.The AFC, in its blueprint for Guyana’s development, has been plugging ethanol development and a business school at UG.Trotman acknowledged that while there were instances of development in the schools and hospitals, the mismanagement and corruption rendered all the Minister’s statements on the budget to nothingness.People still continue to die with even a Minister “not making it after suffering what seems not be a life threatening accident. It is not only the facilities but the level of service that would ultimately matter to the people of Guyana.”Parliamentary representative of the Guyana Action Party/ Rise and Organise Party (GAP/ROAR) said that it is clear that the there was nothing for workers. What was surprising is that despite the time and money spent on the highly touted Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), there was scant mention on how the US$250M from Norway would impact the economy.“Yes, he acknowledged the international crisis, but there is nothing to ease the workers’ plight.”Trade unionist, Lincoln Lewis, of the Caribbean Congress of Labour, pointed out that the Guyanese people once again were not catered for in the budget.“In the preparation of the budget, many stakeholders were ignored. This arrogance of this government knows no boundary. No one group is equipped with all the skills, understanding and expertise needed to develop a complex and multicultural society, yet this government would want it to believe that it can plan for all without their involvement. And, sadly, they are allowed to continue to do so.” According to Lewis, the precedence of past budget debates would bring no guarantee that the coming debates will realise any modification.This budget is yet another confirmation of the government’s abrogation of its responsibility. There is yet to be a sustained jobs investment programme. |
