APNU+AFC MP Christopher Jones yesterday took the government to task over its proposed 2021 national budget, saying that it has failed to address the challenges and economic hardships that have been imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on many Guyanese.
During the budget debate yesterday, Jones told the National Assembly that for a second time since last year the PPP/C government failed to introduce a COVID-19 recovery plan.
“In my 2020 budget presentation, I emphasised that what was frightening to every Guyanese was the fact that budget 2020 was devoid of a COVID recovery plan. It is even more alarming that almost a year into the pandemic this regime presents budget 2021 in this house, similar in scope and is also devoid of a COVID recovery plan,” Jones told the House during his contribution.
He pointed out that businesses have suffered tremendously due to the pandemic, while noting that many were forced to close permanently, resulting in hundreds of persons being laid off.
As he sought to paint the grim picture of what businesses have been experiencing during the pandemic, Jones lamented that the proposed budget failed to provide a stimulus package for small- and large-scale businesses, and he singled out the operators in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Jones also alleged that despite government announcing a $7 billion COVID-19 cash grant relief initiative, “many households in the communities hard hit by the pandemic have not benefitted, due to corruption, discrimination and lack of empathy.”
Jones also argued that the proposed $2 billion allocation for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), could have been better spent in the public sector rather than a “failing industry.”
“Budget 2021 has in excess of $2 billion for this failed industry that is supposed to be the mainstay of Guyana’s economy, but instead it has been the blood sucker on the backs of the Guyanese taxpayers,” he said prior to indicating that the sum could have been allocated to the public sector or salary increases.
He used the opportunity to remind the House that under his party’s governance the public service minimum wage was raised from $39,500 in 2015 to $70,000 in 2019. On this note, he criticised the government for failing to make any consideration of raising the income tax threshold or even increasing minimum wage in the public sector for two consecutive budgets.
Jones took note of a claim by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that the sum of $10 billion has been allocated in the budget for the revision of wages and salaries for public servants and argued that if the government had any plans of increasing public servant salaries they would have “plastered it all over in the budget.”
According to Jones, the government also failed to make provision for job creation for unemployed youths across the county. “Our vision for the young people of Guyana is to have a society where young women and men realise their full potential individually and collectively and are effectively integrated as agents of change for development. How then could that be possible when this regime has clearly demonstrated there remains no coherent vision for youths in this country?” he questioned?
Jones said he could not give his support to the budget since it lacks vision and has no plans to improve the life of Guyanese. “We cannot support this budget…,” he stressed, after saying that it lacked vision and planning to improve the lives of Guyanese.
Before concluding, Jones, like his fellow APNU+AFC colleagues during the course of the day, pointed out that the government failed to consult with his party, which represents 49% of the electorate, on the budget.
After Jones’ presentation, members of the opposition walked out of the National Assembly. He was the last opposition speaker for the day.
