The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) on Friday took aim at the government’s proposed $552.9 billion national budget, saying that it fails to deliver the needed resources to the poor and vulnerable to improve their lives and livelihoods.
“This budget is unfit for purpose, that purpose being the transformation of the lives of ordinary people. This budget is short on delivering resources and services to the poor and struggling masses. The PPP/C’s 2022 national budget fails to bridge the widening gulf between the legitimate expectations of average Guyanese and their daily lives,” PNCR General Secretary Geeta Chandan-Edmond said while reading from a prepared statement at the party’s weekly press conference yesterday.
She added that with the utilisation of the proceeds from oil production, the $552.9 billion budget should have had more measures to address the issues faced by the ordinary Guyanese. Chandan-Edmond said that despite the glowing predictions in budget 2022, there is nothing in it to engender hope.
“We are talking here about millions of US dollars pouring into the national treasury of a country with only 750,000 people. Yet, this government has provided the people with no vision and no comprehensive plan and has demonstrated no sense of urgency to address the plight of the poor, the vulnerable, and the struggling masses of this country.
“The PPP government has offered the Guyanese people no answer because it has none to their persistent question: when will we, the ordinary folks, afford and enjoy a decent and comfortable life? The PNCR believes that this will not happen under a PPP government,” Chandan-Edmond said.
She added that the PNCR is not satisfied with the increase of the income tax threshold to $75,000 since it does not do enough to address the rise in food prices and put more disposable income in the hands of the vulnerable. She countered that with a call for it to be increased to $125,000.
Chandan-Edmond also rapped the government for its failure to announce salary increases for public sector workers as well.
“This same stinginess and small-mindedness is reflected in the way the Budget deals with the University of Guyana. How can a government be serious about economic development and Local Content and yet freeze the budget of UG? The government must also honour its promise to provide free education at the University of Guyana. Is this the future the PPP/C is looking to build? One where education at the highest levels plays a smaller and smaller role?” she questioned.
Meanwhile, the PNCR’s economist Elson Low criticised the government for the reduction in the allocation for the development of small-to-medium businesses. He pointed out that in 2021, $329 million was allocated, while only $300 million is allocated for 2022.
“Let us remind the nation that the PNCR had proposed up to $5 million per business to help them develop and fulfil several development goals, such as the economic empowerment of women and young people. Yes, the budget does promise very small increases and benefits here and there for some. Clearly, pensioners and poor families need to get more dollar bills into their hands this year.
“Our party believes that Guyanese have reached the peak of their impatience with these stingy morsels that are, in any case, eaten up by inflation and will not improve the lives of our people,” he posited.
He called for a comprehensive national development plan, anti-poverty measures, a national poverty survey and measures to increase the income of the most vulnerable among others. He added that the government’s budget also fails to put measures in place to cushion the anticipated impact of projected inflation.
One week earlier the party had outlined proposals for what it called a “people-centred budget’, including the introduction of a tax credit, while lamenting that the main opposition, APNU+AFC, which represents 49% of voters, had been systematically excluded from the consultations that informed the budget.
PNCR Chairman Shurwayne Holder yesterday said that the party is open to dialogue with the government on issues of national importance.
“In the current circumstances we know that the PPP refused to engage us and through our press statements we put out our plans and what we think should be in the budget. I am certain that they’re well aware of it and if they were interested in engaging us, we have expressed that time and time again that we are willing to work with the government in the area of national development and this would be one of them.
“So the onus would be on the government to engage the opposition. They’re the ones preparing the budget and I believe the ball is in their court to engage us formally so that we can share our ideas and plans in the interest of the Guyanese people. We are still open to it. The budget has not been passed as yet and we are still very much open to it,” Holder said in response to questions from the press.
