The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) will be hosting a one-day symposium today under the theme ‘The Budget and You,’ at the Joseph Pollydore Auditorium, Critchlow Labour College, Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The public is invited to attend.
A release from the GTUC said that the participants will come from civil society and the public. The GTUC said that the intent of the process is to help the decision makers to understand and respond to the needs of society.
The GTUC said that the national budget is expected to promote development including implementing systems to create employment and provide other socio-economic rights.
According to the GTUC, in the past the government used to engage stakeholders including the GTUC, before preparing and reading the national budget. Although this no longer occurs, the GTUC still sees stakeholders’ involvement as crucial, not only from a constitutional standpoint that requires the people’s involvement as outlined in Articles 13, 38 and 149C, but also because governments are elected to serve the people.
The GTUC said that the funds expended in the budget belong to the people and that the people should derive benefits from the country’s financial planning.
As such, at the symposium, the people will honour their civic duty by discussing matters related to the budget and will make their concerns known to the elected representatives.
