Opinion

Dear Editor, Whatever small benefits that the 2017 Budget promises to bring to hard pressed Guyanese consumers will in all certainty be completely wiped off by the new taxation and fiscal measures announced by Finance Minister Winston Jordan in his budget presentation to the National Assembly.

Dear Editor, The almost daily developing story of a murder, revoltingly disguised as a hit-and-run accident, has all the usual sordid ingredients: sex, violence, money, flight, attempted cover-up and alleged corruption. 

Dear Editor, As sure as there is a tomorrow, businesses will pass on to customers some portion of the input VAT costs related to electricity and water.

Dear Editor, With the recent oil discovery of oil off Guyana’s shores a little over a year ago, we have seen a litter of consultants parading around the streets of Georgetown accompanied by Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman. 

Dear Editor, It is the time of the year when we hold steadfast to the beliefs of giving and sharing  gifts, as well as offering good wishes.

What the people of the country would have wanted from budget 2017 would have been a reduction of their tax burden, stimulation of the economy to produce real growth and the generation of well-paying jobs.

Dear Editor, At this time approaching the season of goodwill, I would like to ask all our leaders, at whatever level or to whatever persuasion they belong, to remember the following truism that I feel can provide the only avenue for lasting peace and progress in our country.

Dear Editor, Heading into the city on the evening of Saturday, Dec.3, 2016 from an out-of-town commitment, I was passing the Non Aligned Monument and after making an enquiry of what was about to happen, I was told that there would be a vigil for the late, former President Fidel Castro of Cuba.

Dear Editor, The new tax measures announced by Minister of Finance Winston Jordan will inject some $9,595,000,000 ($9.595 billion) into the Guyanese economy.

Dear Editor, On Wednesday, November 30, a delegation from the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) met Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo at Parliament Buildings.

Dear Editor, Quite recently Guyana has once again been associated with notoriety by virtue of an article by Andrea Fernandes and subsequent articles in the little known online paper: Guyana Guardian, whose ‘Editor in Chief’ is Dennis Adonis.

While following the announcement of the Grade Six Assessment results, great emphasis was placed on the creditable achievements of the top candidates, nothing was said by the Ministry of Education about the overall performance of the student body as a whole.

Dear Editor, The Working People’s Alliance Overseas Associates (WPAOA) learned with concern of the sudden collapse of its brother, Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine at a function welcoming Prince Harry.

Dear Editor, Having observed the successful demonization of a US presidential candidate who spent the majority of her adult life in public service by the self-serving millionaire Trump and his trumpets, and closer to home, the attempted character assassination and actual assassination of Ronald Waddell, my late partner and political activist, I am moved to speak on a similar matter that came up recently.

Dear Editor, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, during his 2017 Budget speech, announced that the government will be reintroducing the environmental tax on plastic bottles, which would be $10 per bottle.

Dear Editor, In spite of the billions allocated for medicines and medical supplies in the 2017 budget, there is little hope that shortages of medicines and medical supplies will be reduced in the public health sector.

Dear Editor, Permit me to address your editorial ‘Youth and politics’ first from the perspective of its primary fallacy, the almost caricaturist representation of Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan as a lone heroic figure who “steadfastly tries to break the glass ceiling that seems to be affecting young politicians.”

Dear Editor, The Finance Minister on the TV programme, ‘Budget in Focus’, December 1, stated that the movement of a range of household items from a zero rating to exempt status would reduce the price charged to consumers.