Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo yesterday said that while he is willing to engage with social partners such as the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the trade unions he does not find their request to have an engagement on the budget while it is being debated in the legislature appropriate.
“It is not an unwillingness to engage. Basically the timing is wrong. I don’t find it appropriate to have a parallel engagement on the budget,” Nagamootoo told Stabroek News at parliament.
In a statement yesterday the PSC, TUC and FITUG said it appears that deliberate efforts are being made to avoid having an engagement with them. On December 9 the group had written to Nagamootoo (Leader of the House for Government Business), Dr Barton Scotland (Speaker) and Bharrat Jagdeo (Leader of the Opposition) seeking to have a meeting with the three to directly share opinions and highlight concerns about the budget.