The government has avoided “meaningful” engagement with the opposition on the budget for a second year running, Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge is declaring, while also accusing members of his own party—the PNCR—of aiding a campaign of ‘half-truths’ to blame him for stalling the tripartite talks.
With the budget due to be laid in the National Assembly before the end of the month, Greenidge says the meetings between the government and the opposition so far have been slight and proposals from both APNU and the AFC have not seen any significant replies.
Although President Donald Ramotar had announced that Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh would be inviting the opposition—which has a combined parliamentary majority whose votes would be needed for the budget’s passage—for talks, Greenidge has accused the minister of not trying for meaningful consultations.
“Whatever may have been Mr Ramotar’s intention, the minister, as was the case in