Dear Editor,
Budget Day is tomorrow. In a country bustling with so much activity, standing on the cusp of so much, having in hand so much more (no, not the PRO for Alistair Routledge), this should be a day of high anticipation and excitement for all Guyanese. Especially those who have been treated to nibbles and dribbles. Still, I encourage Guyanese at the bottom of the economic barrel to be watchful, to pay attention to the 2024 budget, for there could be something in there. No matter how minor or maagah, it is still something from this fantastic wealth. Possibly more than the paltry, mangy, and ugly of the last two budgets.
We have had record budget after record budget. The contractor class has snared hog, cow, and duck. Check the numbers. Those billions don’t lie. This is how the meat is shared among themselves. Some must be left out. Billions here and billions there for everything under the sun, with down-at-the-heels Guyanese waiting, wishing, hoping for some word about $25,000. At today’s prices, that is a barrel and a half of oil per Guyanese family yearly. Rich, I should say. I thank President Ali for his generosity. What will tomorrow bring? Higher levels of generosity for ordinary Guyanese, hopefully.
My first prediction is another record budget. The second is that the contractor class will be a runaway winner (again). The third is that the emerging defence establishment will spiral: Guyana’s military-political complex stirring. Fourth, the Office of the President will double down from GY$5 billion to GY$10 billion for standby funds. Fifth, there will be money to calm the indigenous, some to manage youths smartly, some to control naysayers, dissenters, and parasites.
Somewhere along the line, there will be something for the bottom feeders of Guyana. Cost-of-living relief embedded, so I hear, with Christmas for the masses in January. What will it be? Some pittances for pensioners, which I believe is already settled ($3,000 or $4,000). The monthly increase is the cost of the tissue that Alistair Routledge blows his nose into; one sheet of Kleenex equals one month increase for one pensioner. Why give them more? To buy what? I can’t wait to absorb this so-called cost-of-living relief. It might take some sort of socialist turn: planned markets, price management (not controls): return to some form of GMC, give them some low-cost goods and greens, and it will be more than made up elsewhere. If anybody is thinking tax relief, think threshold and no more. Dese guys just mean to keep Guyanese on a thin string and dependent.
I think that Singh would have put his last two budgets side-by-side for a postmortem: the wrong priorities emphasized? Where should get less, who should get more. Cut this crap out about multiplier effect; give some serious purchasing power. Trickledown is keeping down. Present a package that gives citizens sustained relief, comrade doctor. Slim down a bit on building and give the poor Guya-nese people some financial ‘builders.’
Go ahead. Prove me wrong. Make me eat crow. Make this budget different, Mr. PPP. Make meaningful provisions for the masses of Guyana. It can be done, as there are enough resources. Show us how caring and considerate this government is. Don’t worry about those with their charts, graphs, and tables; mean nothing to the hungry. I am looking for real dollars (not token amounts) for little citizens. Make the 2024 budget a song of joy for them.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall
