Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh spent more than two hours on Friday night closing the debate on the 2022 national budget, where he focused heavily on the shortcomings of the APNU+AFC coalition during its time in government.
Singh, in his presentation, said that the budget is one that outlines Guyana’s transformational agenda in a way that generations of Guyanese have been waiting for.
“Sir, this government, this budget outlines an agenda for transforming Guyana in a way that generations of Guyanese have been waiting for. The energy, the gas to shore project, the Amaila Falls to deliver energy at scale using clean and renewable sources, including of course gas as a transitional fuel. At scale, delivering electricity at the level that is required to facilitate an industrial revolution in Guyana. Finally, finally, the industrial revolution about [which] foreparents have dreamt of but was unable to realize because of inadequacy and cost of power. Finally, this People’s Progressive Party government will deliver it and Budget 2022 initiates that delivery,” an impassioned Singh told the House late Friday night.
Boasting about the government’s infrastructural projects, the Finance Minister said that in just 18 months in office, the PPP/C government has been able to deliver more roads and bridges than the former administration. He did not stop there but also informed that more highways would be constructed to ease traffic congestion across the country.
“Ultimately a brand new highway all the way to Timehri. A new bridge across the Demerara River, a new and expanded highway on the Corentyne, the bridge across the Corentyne River linking us with our neighbours in Suriname expanding the market in which we are operating in,” Singh added.
While outlining the government’s agenda for development, Singh told the coalition members that they have failed to adequately address the budgetary allocation and proffer plans and policies to further develop the lives of Guyanese. He said that in the age of technology and the rapid growth Guyana is expected to experience, not only accountability, transparency and good leadership is required but also a robust Opposition.
“Over the last week or last week and I want to say sir at this point in Guyana’s history and in this modern age of information, in this era when Guyana is going through such a drama rapid and dramatic transformation, sir what we need more than ever before is serious, credible, capable and competent government. No amount of gymnastics and theatrics from the other side will change that fact.
“The fact of the matter is, but what we were treated to, what we were treated to presentation after presentation…the people of Guyana were reminded of why easier judgment in 2020 was as appropriate as it was. To begin with, the APNU+AFC has a serious problem with credibility,” an unusually boisterous Minister Singh argued before delving into the APNU+AFC’s manifesto and highlighting all it failed to deliver.
Singh also took the Opposition to task over their contention that budget 2022, presented under the theme “Steadfast Against All Challenges, Resolute in Building Our One Guyana”, is not catering for the ordinary Guyanese. He argued that if one is to look objectively at the budget and its provisions they would see that every Guyanese it catered for. He highlighted that the $552.9 billion budget provides for the increase in old-age pension and public assistance while providing every school-aged child with $30,000 in cash grants. He furthered that the increase of the income tax threshold would see more disposable income in the hands of citizens.
Oil money
Budget 2022 is the first budget utilizing proceeds from Guyana’s oil production and Singh took time during his presentation to defend the government’s controversial Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act, which allows for the emptying of the NRF among other things.
“You see all of this noise that was made about the Natural Resource Fund. You know what the real crux of the matter is? The real crux of the matter is the APNU+AFC and their surrogates want to frustrate development in this country as they have always done,” he said.
He stressed that every withdrawal from the NRF would be subjected to parliamentary scrutiny and appropriation.
Taking a jab at the previous APNU+AFC’s NRF legislation, Singh argued that it violated the Santiago principles which mandate the establishment of a governing board. He argued that the PPP/C will use the oil resources to transform the country so that every Guyanese benefit.
