Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Juan Edghill has called for a “national conversation” on the way forward following the budget cuts.
“The present situation cannot and should not continue,” Edghill said in a statement yesterday. He appealed to members of civil society – religious leaders, trade unionists, community based organizations, the private sector, leaders of youth and women’s organization and opinion leaders — “to act responsibly.”
Edghill said it was regrettable that “some have already compromised themselves by taking political positions in their recent statements.” According to him, “this waste of a great opportunity” should not be allowed. “Maybe it’s time for all the various groups to meet and dialogue and offer recommendations and suggestions. I recommend a national conversation on the way forward for Guyana. The silence of civil society leaders and the voices of reason can be considered unforgivable in these circumstances.”
The minister urged the leadership of APNU and AFC to return “forthwith” to the talks that were convened by President Donald Ramotar. The President is on record as saying he is prepared to work with all stakeholders for the benefit of Guyana, he said. Edghill urged the opposition to engage the government through its representatives, in public discourses–both on television and radio.
“The people of Guyana deserve to see and hear their leaders discuss the issues. Let us stop dealing with the unproductive trend of attacking personalities,” he said.
The opposition, using its one-seat majority in the National Assembly, made cuts amounting to $20.8 billion of the $192.5 billion budget originally proposed by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh. APNU and AFC cited concerns about a lack of accountability for some allocations as well as the need to trim wasteful spending in order to enable measures to address the cost of living.
