Failed promises by the APNU/AFC Govt

Dear Editor,

It is not surprising that once again the APNU/AFC Government has failed to deliver on its promises as outlined in its 2015 Elections Manifesto. The coalition has eroded the confidence of its supporters to such an extent that they are crying foul and vowed never to be bamboozled again. The Manifesto spoke about a ‘phased reduction of VAT within the first 100 days. One of its Canadian financier, T Lilmohan, in a letter to Stabroek News, is claiming that it would be a ‘disaster’ to reduce the VAT rate.

Why did he not object to this before the General Elections? The answer is simple: hoodwink the people to get their votes! Today, rice farmers are faced with severe financial hardships, yet they have to pay VAT on the purchase of tractors, machineries and equipment. They pay VAT on by-products of rice such as bran. The Rice Sector needs all the help they can get! NOW and not later!

The Manifesto has also failed to deliver on ‘significant increases’ for public servants. This promise was not seen as a breach of the Collective Bargaining Agreement at that time but now the Finance Minister is resolving that breach in a most ‘timely and opportune’ manner!

How convenient for the coalition! Next, the Manifesto promised a reduction of the Berbice Bridge toll which at the end of five years will be reduced to Gy$500. It has so far been reduced by Gy$300. However this year’s Budget has no reduction, so are we to assume that in the next three years, the toll will be reduced by Gy$1400? Another failed promise!

Then there is the promise of ‘significant increase’ in Old Age pension! The old age pensioners were given an increase of Gy$3875 in 2015, but homeowners suffered a monthly loss of Gy$4166 or Gy$50,000 per annum. This year they were given a ‘princely’ increase of Gy$1200. A simple calculation will show that the total increase of Gy$5075 will amount to Gy$60,900 and when the Gy$50,000 is deducted then the yearly increase amounts to just Gy$10,900 or Gy$908 per month! So the homeowners will have to live a ‘Good Life’ with an increase of Gy$908!

So this Government is by implication saying that it is a crime for an old age pensioner to own his home under the “Good Life’ Budget!

Another vulnerable group which lacks the ‘Good Life’ is those poor and destitute people who depend on Public Assistance hand-outs to scrape a mere existence. This ‘group was given a paltry increase of Gy$800. This is most disgraceful! No wonder we have so many young mothers in the ‘sex worker’ profession and so many ragged children begging in the streets of our towns and City! If we take out just Gy$126 million from the Gy$300 million set aside for the ‘Independence Bash’, we can pay the old age pensioners Gy$20,000 per month and a Public Assistance of Gy$10,000 per month.

A Government is judged by the way it treats its vulnerable and poor citizens, especially the elderly, the disabled, and the poverty stricken.

In conclusion, a budget must be analysed according to how much benefit each spent dollar brings to the citizens and it is a rare phenomenon to see old age pensioners driving motor vehicles and travelling abroad (this is for the rich ones who already have the ‘Good Life’), you would mostly see them at the doorsteps of the various Post Offices, hungrily awaiting their pittances which would soon dissipate!

This Budget has failed miserably to deliver the ‘Good Life’ to its most vulnerable citizens. It is one thing to fail to deliver to the nation but it is an unforgiveable sin to fail to deliver to these impoverished citizens!

Yours sincerely,

Haseef Yusuf