Increasing pension, cutting taxes hilarious - Nadir

Increasing pension, cutting taxes hilarious – Nadir

Apr 11, 2012 News

Government has dismissed as hilarious, calls by the Alliance For Change (AFC) for increases in pension and public servants’ wages and salaries and the cutting of taxes during yesterday’s Budget debate in the National Assembly Budget.
Government’s position was highlighted by its Member of Parliament, Manzoor Nadir, who described AFC Member of Parliament Moses Nagamootoo’s presentation as “hilarious and confusing”.
Nadir stated that it would not be beneficial for Guyana to increase spending on areas such as pension and cut back on taxes which generate income. Pensioners are already benefiting from waiver on their water bills, he said.
To take his argument further, Nadir challenged Nagamootoo, “To run his business, to run his household as he is asking this government to run the country by eating less, using less light, using less technology… cutting all those things and paying his workers better and don’t have greater income because he is cutting taxes, and let us see how he would rally out.”
Nadir asserted that this year’s budget aims to keep Guyana on course and has opportunities for another year of positive growth.
In the budget, Government has earmarked the establishment of a Small Business Trust Fund to impact in excess of 40,000 small businesses, which in turn is expected to create about 800 direct jobs.
Like Government’s Women of Worth programme, the Small Business Trust Fund would be a guarantee facility for operators without collateral to access credit. This initiative could also benefit persons in the hinterland communities who are unable to utilize their lands as collateral at a bank.
“There is more money allocated to the Competition and Fair Trading Commission and more money allocated to the Small Business Bureau… These are the sectors that would bake this bigger economic pie that would be cut up into larger slices for our people,” Nadir said.
He noted that while Government is putting policies and programmes in place to see the development of the economy with micro enterprises, it is also embarking on big projects such as a Marriott brand hotel and the modernization of Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
Defending the erection of a Marriott brand hotel in Guyana, Nadir said this investment is not about closing businesses but expanding opportunities for all.
“While some people may want to knock the Marriott on one side of the House, it’s only protecting those who endorsed a particular party and funded that party. The Marriott is not about closing businesses but about expanding opportunities for all businesses.”
“One of the challenges in the tourism sector has been get a sector-leading brand in Guyana and that is what the Marriott is going to get. We are not preparing in Guyana for the same level of tourism.”
Government has also justified the expansion of Guyana’s main port of entry as an avenue to improve the tourism sector. Nadir pointed out that there is nothing such as poverty tourism and he stressed that tourists from the first world countries want to have first world facilities wherever they go.
“The world tourism and travel index are projecting growth in Guyana because Government is investing in infrastructure to make it better for people to come to Guyana,” he noted.

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Increasing pension, cutting taxes hilarious – Nadir

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