Dubbing the 2021 budget as a template for development under the PPP/C led administration, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar in his budget presentation said the people will see transformational development from this budget.
Indar told the House that the Irfaan Ali-led administration is serious about development in all aspects of infrastructure to benefit the lives of every Guyanese.
During his presentation the Minister pointed out to the House that in his ministry, budgetary provisions have been made for twenty-seven projects that will improve and deliver a better quality of life to all Guyanese.
The projects include: the rehabilitation of the Malali, Makouria, and Kimbia ferries; rehabilitation of airstrips at Paramakatoi, Baramita, Karisparu, and Eteringbang; rehabilitation of pontoons on the Demerara Harbour Bridge; installation of streetlights, walkways and parking lots; upgrading of roads in both rural and urban communities; and reinforcement of sea defences.
“This budget have $32.9 billion for public works. It is 32 per cent of the country’s capital works – the total for capital works in here is $103 billion. Public Works Ministry alone have 32% of the budget, this is in keeping with the President’s vision of massive infrastructure development. This is in keeping of our promise to the people from when we were campaigning that we will build back Guyana to a modern Guyana, this is a template for development,” Indar declared as he offered his support for the budget.
Earlier in his presentation, the Minister slammed the APNU+AFC coalition government for imposing harsh taxes on the people, a move, he said, that has deprived persons from attaining financial freedom.
He pointed out that in this budget, small businesses and the ordinary man will experience an ease of conducting business as there has been no new implementation of taxes.
Indar, who was the fourth speaker for the day, criticised the APNU+AFC government for gloating about the amount of revenue collected from taxes and failing to recognise the “hardships” created for many.
“GRA rakes in $226 billion in tax revenue for 2019 up from 2018. This they gloat about. Mr Speaker this is their [APNU+AFC] government putting both hands in [the] people’s pockets. If you gloat about increased taxes, it came from households, it came from the ordinary workers, it came from businesses, especially small businesses…” Indar said as he held up a February 2, 2020 Stabroek News report.
Throughout his presentation, the Minister referenced several of this newspaper’s reports in which he criticised the previous government for not having a robust and people-centred development agenda.
Painting the picture of the stark tax increases by the David Granger administration, the minister noted that when the PPP/C government left office in 2015, tax revenue income was pegged at $135 billion but climbed dramatically to $226 billion over the years.
“You were taxing people more than the earning capacity of the country and making Guyana a pauperized state…That is your record and you can’t hide from it…” Indar said as he took a jab at the previous government and its tax regime.
