The final day of a five-day debate on the 2025 budget concluded yesterday with Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh sharply critiquing the opposition’s performance and excoriating the PNCR.
He zeroed in on the opposition’s proposed election measures, which he argued would drain the country’s resources.
“The measures announced by the PNCR for the upcoming elections will cost the country $799 billion dollars—without even addressing essential developments in housing, schools, or healthcare,” Singh said, emphasizing the fiscal irresponsibility of these proposals.
Turning his attention to the performances in Parliament, Singh drew comparisons between the opposition and government MPs. He said that the government members had “outshone” their opposition counterparts in debate, noting that many senior members of the opposition left the chamber immediately after their presentations.
“If you can’t even stay in the house to listen to others speak, then it’s no wonder you can’t follow the larger rules,” Singh remarked. “The leadership of your party has let you down,” he added, addressing the eight opposition members who remained for the conclusion of the debate.
The minister did not hold back in his criticism of Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton. Reflecting on Norton’s earlier comments on banning certain food items, Singh noted that, in 2025, the opposition was still proudly defending policies from decades ago that criminalized the consumption of basic foodstuffs.
“There was a generation where if you ate sardines from a can, you had to bury it to avoid being punished,” Singh said, recounting how people were once arrested simply for having “sardines on their breath.”
Singh also recalled the harsh rhetoric against the tourism sector from the 1980s, referencing remarks made by APNU+AFC MP Juretha Fernandes, who disparaged the industry as “parasitic.” Despite the sector’s growth over the years, he said the opposition still clung to outdated and damaging views.
Singh continued his rebuttal by addressing claims about infrastructure. Opposition members had criticized the government’s infrastructure projects, claiming a lack of feasibility studies, but Singh was quick to point out the contradictions in their arguments. He ridiculed Norton’s statements about building bridges across the Essequibo River and creating an interstate highway, noting that the opposition had simultaneously criticized the government’s infrastructure budget. “The only thing left for Mr. Norton to announce is the road to the moon,” he joked.
The minister also took aim at Norton’s assertion that the PPP/C government was responsible for the destruction of the Guyana Airways Corporation.
“I know I still have many years ahead of me, but I am old enough to know differently,” Singh responded, recounting how the airline had been plagued by political interference under the leadership of former President Forbes Burnham.
“When Burnham needed to fly, the aircraft was taken off the bookings—even though people had already purchased tickets,” he said.
Singh further accused the opposition of lacking credibility, pointing to their failure to repair the damage caused during their time in power. He referred to several historical instances reported by the Stabroek News, highlighting the economic hardships faced by Guyanese under PNC leadership in the 1980s and early 1990s.
“In 1988, Guyanese were scrounging for rice, flour, and chicken,” Singh recalled. “In 1991, panic buying led to shortages of basic necessities. They came back with the same people, causing the same hardship, and they wonder why they were sent packing to the opposition benches.”
The Minister was unrelenting in his criticism of the opposition’s track record, stating that the PNC had left the country in economic ruin. “Under the PNC, public servants’ wages were wiped out, forcing many to moonlight as hucksters in places like Trinidad and Barbados,” he said. He further pointed to how Guyanese citizens were forced to travel with polythene bags, asking others to check in their luggage due to an inability to afford excess baggage fees. “This is the reality we lived under when the PNC was in charge,” Singh declared.
Singh also painted a stark picture of Guyana’s past under PNC rule, emphasizing that the country’s economic difficulties were a direct result of the opposition’s policies. “The PNC is associated with destruction, hardship, and decimation,” Singh said. “They refuse to acknowledge their past, and as long as they do, they will never be able to offer a better future for the people of Guyana.”
Singh reaffirmed his belief in the government’s ability to continue its transformative work, urging all Guyanese to recognize the stark contrast between the current administration and the opposition. “Regardless of which sector you look at, the difference in performance is clear,” he concluded.