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The 2009 Budget lacks vision

Feb 13, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
My comments as an ordinary Guyanese on the delivery and substance of the budget as well as the implications are short and are as follows.
The Minister’s antics on pronouncing it is the largest budget in Guyana’s history was comical and showed a sign of being out of touch with what’s happening to the rest of the world.
This is Guyana where the limited industries are on a downward slide, a heavy dependence on the US dollar from remittances, which is already on a downward path as well, and an economy made up of basically service and merchant traders.
I had lost respect for the Minister a little while back. Academic brilliance certainly did not translate into professional competence once again.
And really, if converted to US dollar, is it really the largest budget? I’ll leave it to competent persons familiar with the numbers to answer that question.
The budget doesn’t have any vision and the numbers are obviously flawed. How is it Guyana is showing a growth of 4.5 percent when the rest of the world is projecting a growth rate of under 1 percent or negative growth?
To not seize this opportunity to reduce taxes, specifically the VAT, to encourage and keep the economy alive, as well as increasing government spending instead of cutting government spending is irresponsible.
What can easily be cut is the number of ministries, ministers and a large amount of the expenditure associated with these ministries.
What is also irresponsible is to bring into question the professionalism of a state institution, the Bureau of Statistics and those within the institution who are professionals. This is another sign of a state sliding into an abyss once again. What an embarrassment when the numbers are proven incorrect if a forensic audit is conducted.
The President seems to have taken a hands-off approach on this budget. The President usually has his fingers on the pulse of reality. What he needs is to surround himself with competent persons who put country first as he does, if this country is to progress.
Ganesh Singh

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