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“This is a cardboard budget painted to look like concrete” – APNU
The Opposition last evening offered government a last-ditch opportunity for talks on the 2013 National Budget.
Ahead of the deliberations to approve the estimates of the $208.8B budget, Opposition Leader, Brigadier (ret’d) David Granger, in sounding a warning that there could likely be no support from his side, described the budget as a piece of cardboard “painted to look like concrete” and lacking substance.
Opposition Leader David Granger
Granger was the last speaker of the Opposition to argue on the budget before Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, took the floor again to make his case why the measures and the budget should be passed.
According to Granger, government in crafting the budget did not meet in any meaningful consultations with the opposition parties in the National Assembly, and such it is an exclusionary budget that does not cater to the realities of Guyanese, making it more of an anti-poor, anti-people and anti-progress budget.
He also opined that President Donald Ramotar’s input seemed to be sorely missed.
Granger zeroed in on the lack of resources by the budget for the long outstanding Office of the Ombudsman and the Public Service Appellate Tribunal.
“It does not also have meaningful allocations to provide a critical road from Linden to border town Lethem nor any meaningful plans to combat the crime situation in the hinterland,” Granger affirmed.
The Opposition Leader was convinced that the budget lacked meaningful measures to provide employment for the young.
Regarding old age pension, he asked: “How far will $12,500 go?”
“It does not also tackle the development of the University of Guyana. A minority administration cannot ignore the people’s will.” He said that Guyana will continue to face the same challenges as nothing has changed.
“It is worse than a mistake…it is a blunder.”
Making reference to government’s misuse of public funds, Granger said he has learnt that state employees were taken to the hinterland and used to paste posters against an opposition Member of Parliament, Sydney Allicock.
“How do we vote money to pay for markers? We have to teach them a lesson.”
Granger dwelled in length on the security situation going back to the early 2000s where many were killed.
The Opposition Leader warned that the country’s budget should not be treated like “an Annual General Meeting of some corporation”.
“There is a general aura of gloom and prolonged security crisis with the cost of living remaining the very real of issues. While there has been growth, it is jobless growth.”
Granger made it clear that A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) believes that a better Guyana can be achieved by offering citizens a first class education with communities combining energies through integration.
The Opposition Leader, a former army head, railed against the delay by the administration to deal seriously with the reformation of the country’s security sector, pointing out that it took two years after a critical report was handed over for there to be action.
“Security reforms must include dealing with administrative issues, career planning, integrity and public communication.”
He continued: “Poverty can be reduced, but only by good governance.”
But all is not lost. While the opposition was intent on not supporting the budget, it was willing to craft a more realistic one with government.
The combined Opposition, inclusive of APNU and the Alliance For Change, has a one seat majority and last year used it, following the 2011 General Elections, to cut $20B from the 2012 budget. However, government restored the amount, which affected the state media and the Office of the President, following a controversial court ruling.
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