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PPP casts blame on APNU over 2014 Budget consultation
The Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) through its General Secretary Clement Rohee has expressed “great” concern with A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) over what it feels is the opposition’s non responsiveness to the invitation of the Finance Minister for consultations on the 2014 National Budget.
General Secretary of the PPP Clement Rohee
“Due to its antics the APNU has been offering a plethora of excuses for the 2014 budget, first they were not invited, then when the APNU leader [David] Granger directed Member of Parliament [Carl] Greenidge to engage, he said he needed more information and then finally it was that ‘it was too late for consultations’” said the General Secretary.
“It is evident that Granger had instructed Greenidge to engage in consultations but Greenidge chose to disobey him… a high act of indiscipline, to save face Granger, instead of disciplining Greenidge, made the excuse that it was too late for consultations.”
He also articulated that the answers provided by the Opposition were “flimsy” excuses and geared towards political grand standing as opposed to serving their constituents and the nation as a whole.
“It is quite comical that the APNU only a few weeks ago declared boldly that 2014 is the year of the workers, yet weeks later when the workers interest would be best served by budget consultations they choose to turn their backs on the very workers” said the PPP.
The General Secretary in a press conference yesterday expressed that the annual budget is the single most important government intervention that impacts significantly the lives of the country’s workers and their respective families. He added that for the Opposition to therefore not engage in budget consultations is a “dereliction of duty” to the workers and constituencies that elected them.
Rohee said there is no indication to show that APNU will change their position with respect to the cutting of the Budget since he said the party has publicly announced areas they will be targeting in 2014. Some of those areas he said would be the Government Information Agency (GINA), National Communications Network (NCN), “sugar and the flagship projects as usual.”
He however stated that flagship projects such as the Marriot and Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion will go ahead and the Opposition is fighting a losing battle.
“I see no indication of the opposition shifting their position because were they to admit and recognize in fact that these projects are going ahead notwithstanding the position they took on these matters, I think they will look bad in the eyes of their supporters so they obviously have to keep on with the same position” said Rohee.
The party said it believes in consultations and is encouraging all stakeholders who have been invited to 2014 budget consultations to take the opportunity to “engage the Minister of Finance to the fullest with respect to the ideas and negotiate on behalf of their constituents.”
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