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Continuing to ease the burden on people

Jul 13, 2008 Features / Columnists

The Government has always said that it would not impose unnecessary hardships on the people; so when the oil prices began to rise internationally, the Government took some measures to ensure that the full range of increases did not reach the people. In the first instance, there was the slashing of the tax on fuels.

The decision to cut the tax meant that Government was foregoing revenue, and everyone knows that without revenue the Government cannot undertake social programmes, such as constructing schools, improving the medical services, rehabilitating infrastructure, and even paying wages and salaries to people working in the public sector.

Ever so often, the critics would call on the Government to hike wages and salaries as though the Government has an unending source of money and all it has to do is dive into the coffers and pay people more.
Of course, the Government did just this when oil and food prices reached record levels.

It examined the impact on people earning less than $50,000 per month and decided to offer them what some call a cushion in the form of $4,000 extra and tax free so that the people could cope with any increases.

It has not escaped notice that, with the recent hike in the cost of public transport, the Guyana Public Service Union is asking that the Government add an additional $1,000 to the cushion. It is as if the Government has a right to respond to every act by the public.

In the first instance, the increase is believed to be unreasonable, especially since most of the operators of minibuses that provide the public transport are securing gasoline at less than $1,000 a gallon.

The Government and the minibus operators did agree that, should the price of gasoline reach $1,000 per gallon, the issue of a fare increase could be discussed and addressed.

The minibus operators acquire their fuel supplies from Guyoil, which retails fuel at less than $1,000 a gallon. But these people have found another excuse — they complain that the cost of spares has risen.

But everyone knows that the movement of things such as spares depends on the strength of a foreign currency, something over which the Government has no control.

What should be asked in whether the minibus operators would lower their fares when the prices of spares come down.

The answer is a resounding ‘No,’ because prices seem to be one thing that never comes down in this country.

These things apart, the Government is concerned, and at every step of the way, because the people are crucial to the continued forward movement of the country.

They have had it rough for a long time, a time that dates back to the days of the People’s National Congress government.

Back in the days of the PNC, the people knew what it was to sleep in lines, to go without basic food items, and to survive on a level of pay that would be considered ridiculous today.

But these are the people who suddenly seem to have the interest of the people at heart, to the point of staging protests and disrupting life in the streets.

And so it is that the Government continues to face the critics at every step, and tries to do what it knows is best for the people.

At no time does the Government believe that the critics do not sometimes have good ideas or make useful suggestions.

Because of this, the Government has often been asking for dialogue and discussions with these people, but there is often the impression that the critics are more content to badmouth the Government, even if there is good.

So the Government must now examine the recent hike in transportation costs. It would be a good thing if people could take decisions to avoid having to bear this burden.

There was a time when the bicycle was a more than useful tool. The Government has not ignored the fact that many people have returned to this form of transport, and those who have a little more money have resorted to the mopeds — the motor scooters and motorcycles.

Importers of these machines have been in discussion with the relevant authorities to see if the machines could be offered for even less than they are being offered for now.

The Government has an interest in the people, and this is going to ensure the continuation of the trend of ensuring no unnecessary hardships visit the people.

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