Daily Features

Sunday, September 13th, 2020 Parade Ground George-town was the first scene of another display of weeping and mourning that would continue along the East Coast of Demerara and culminate in Berbice.

We have long taken ethnic unease into our homes and swaddled it under blankets of mutual loathing.

Welcome Secretary Pompeo, Welcome Mike! Besides the now annual National Budget Review by Ram and McRae, I found myself looking out for some form of critique from the immediate past Finance Minister.

Yesterday’s historic visit to Guyana by the United States (US) Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has prompted a public frenzy of conspiracy theories, ranging from an impending invasion of neighbouring Venezuela to pressing the new Government on its hold-up of the Payara permit for American oil giant ExxonMobil.

Today’s historic visit to Guyana by the United States (US) Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has prompted a public frenzy of conspiracy theories, ranging from an impending invasion of neighbouring Venezuela to pressing the new Government on its hold-up of the Payara permit for American oil giant ExxonMobil.

The U.S. Embassy welcomes information from concerned citizens who are aware of visa fraud.

Not for the first time the various requests for information about the reasoning underlying many  decision in the 2020 budget suggest that if there is one aspect of government business that needs to be reformed it is the manner in which budgets are conceived, constructed, examined, passed and monitored by the general public, stakeholders and parliament.

Over the last twelve months the Caribbean has been able to demonstrate through the ballot box that its democracies remain strong.

The four hour long Budget Speech 2020 presented by Bishop Juan Edghill was one of many firsts: the latest Budget in the history of this country, the first budget of the Irfaan Ali Administration, the first presented outside of the Public Buildings and significantly the first presented by an Administration of which no substantive the Minister of Finance has been appointed.

2019 ■             Growth in Real GDP of 5.4% compared with an initial target of 4.9%. 

Introduction The rather extensive sub-theme of the 2020 Budget was “Protecting our People in a COVID-19 Environment, Strengthening Democracy and the Rule of Law, Incentivising Growth and Job Creation, Enhancing Welfare”.

The main elements of the 2020 Plan are: Total current revenues are projected to decrease by $14,109 million to $226,476 million or by 5.9%.

Analysis of expenditureIntroduction Under normal circumstances, the caption of this section would be by and large accurate.

In this section we consider the measures announced by the Minister, analyse them, evaluate their impact and discuss the extent to which they provide useful economic benefits to stakeholders.

Pro-Poor Policies The word “poor” was used two times and the word “poverty” once in the 2020 Budget while in the last (2019) Budget Speech of the Coalition Government the word “poverty” was used five times.

Paragraph 4.130 of the Budget Speech states emphatically that the PPP/C will “immediately engage the oil and gas companies in better contract administration/renegotiation”.

By Alissa Trotz Alissa Trotz is Editor of the In the Diaspora Column On Friday September 11th (birth anniversary of Andaiye, social justice warrior and co-founder of Red Thread), Red Thread invited all Guyanese to a virtual speakout streamed live on Facebook (you can view it on Red Thread Women: Crossroads Women’s Centre).

As Minister Edghill proudly declared “this administration is decidedly pro-Guyana, pro-private sector”.

On 30 September 2019, the Auditor General presented to the Speaker of the National Assembly his report on the audit of the public accounts for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2018.

Murdered children lying in bushes expose Guyana’s shame. Our secrets are known.