The main Opposition A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) has criticised the Gy$220 billion National Budget presented by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh on Monday, saying it is bloated with expenditures while warning a “difficult debate” even as it threatens to cut sections of the estimates.
While addressing media representatives, Opposition Leader and APNU Chairman, Retired Brigadier David Granger said: “I don’t know what the budget is all about” as he registered his concerns.
Granger said several issues were not adequately addressed, for instance, the plan to computerise hinterland secondary schools. He said there are plans to “computerise these schools when the schools do not have proper infrastructure, especially electricity”.
“I have seen the widest variety of plastic buckets in my life as the children of Paramakatoi Secondary have to fetch water,” declared Granger as he explained other areas of concern in the 2014 National Budget.
Social programme
Finance Minister Carl Greenidge
He contended that the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme that was implemented which should afford indigenous people the opportunity to be trained and subsequently gain meaningful employment is merely a “social programme” in that it does not fulfil its mandate. He noted that the programme does not provide jobs and is more of an “elections gimmick” than a development venture.
Granger went on to indicate that there were some aspects of the budget that he was in support of and those included the Rural Development Plan which would see $1 billion being spent as the Government aims to promote small businesses in rural communities by increasing infrastructure in those areas and place some focus on labour-intensive activities. Granger further related that more emphasis should have been placed on riverine communities, urging that a transportation system be set up in those areas. He explained that many children miss school on a daily basis in those areas and such a system would prevent such occurrences.
When questioned on whether he was satisfied with the increase given to Old Age Pensioners, Granger responded in the negative, stating that his party was hoping to see the pension rising to $15,000.
“What might be okay for Georgetown is not okay for people in the hinterland area,” he added, promptly relating that persons in those outlying areas pay a lot more for transportation and their cost of living is considerably higher. Granger contended that the 2014 National Budget is not a “developmental budget, arguing that the city will be in the same position that “it is in right now in 2015”.
On the $6 billion subsidy for GuySuCo, Granger said: “We don’t want to throw good money at the bad.”
Meanwhile, APNU Executive Member and Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge lamented that the budget does not show any signs of growth. “Expenditure is not growth, expenditure is not development… the Government is confusing development with spending,” Greenidge said.
He went on to explain that enough careful thought was not given to the budget when it was compiled by the man of the day, Dr Ashni Singh. Greenidge noted that he heard complaints from the Public Service Union which had noted that the consultation exercise that they had embarked on with the Finance Minister was “a fruitless and meaningless exercise”.
The Shadow Finance Minister further pointed out that the Government was only thinking about itself when the budget was compiled. As it relates to the $6 billion allocation to the sugar industry, Greenidge maintained that money was not the solution to the problems faced by the sugar industry. “They are going to come for six billion now and later in the year, they are going to come back for more,” the former Finance Minister of the Desmond Hoyte Administration said.
He then chided the Finance Minister for what he said was his failure to provide background information into the projects that are to be undertaken by the Government this year. He noted that there was “no justification of the budget”. He said the National Assembly was just given an extensive list of things the Government intends to do.
Accomplishments
He noted that while the Finance Minister spoke of accomplishments in the sectors, to the country continues be plagued by serious issues – among them: 40 per cent youth unemployment, the continued migration of skilled labour from Guyana and suicide, for which Guyana has recorded the highest rate in the Caribbean. “We are talking about spending a lot on education when the illiteracy rates are appalling,” added Greenidge.
When questioned on whether the Opposition will be cutting any aspects of the budget, Greenidge responded in the positive. He noted that the debate on the budget which is set to commence next Monday will be “difficult”. He noted too that going forward, there will be problems with the budget that his party plans to adequately address.
He added that some of the estimates are not in compliance with Article 222A of the Constitution of Guyana.
