Latest update April 17th, 2025 8:39 PM
2014 Budget debate… Opposition suffers from tunnel vision -Teixeira
Government’s chief whip, Gail Teixeira is of the firm belief that members of the Opposition suffer from tunnel vision. The Member of Parliament said that the Opposition is only seeking to have some of the immediate needs of the people met without giving due consideration and support to projects that promote long term development of the country.
Government’s Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira
Teixeira said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other bodies have recognized Guyana for making prudent fiscal and financial management in relation to the economy of the country and the 2014 Budget has again delivered on a series of transformative programmes and projects for a better Guyana for everyone.
She contended that while the members of the Opposition may refer to the Budget as a “repair and maintenance Budget,” they too have proposed recommendations which lack vision.
The Parliamentarian said that throughout the debates she has made an observation. “It is small world view versus the big world view.”
She said, “The small world view seems to be able to concentrate on the immediate needs such as the provision of goods and services and so forth. Certainly, we could forever complain about the air services etc. but unless we have a big world view, we cannot solve these problems.
The Amaila Falls hydro project, the Mazaruni hydro development project, CJIA expansion project, the Linden to Lethem road, other new roads and highways, these take five years of preparation before anything is built. We have to be looking at least ten years up the road. The conflict and tension within any Government is the issue between delivering the immediate needs of the people and at the same time, looking on the horizon and seeing how you can solve problems while you keep the society going and developing, but the other side (the Opposition) seems to not want the big projects.”
Teixeira alluded to the fact that Shadow Minister of Education, Amna Ally of “A Partnership for National Unity”, had said, “We don’t want projects; just fix the schools.” This, Teixeira classified as a typical case of “small world vision.”
She added, “I have listened to every speaker and I truly believe that the Opposition wants a repair and maintenance Budget and not a vision for a better Guyana.”
The Parliamentarian said that not one speaker from the Opposition’s side recommended a solution for the ever growing demand for energy as the country becomes more modern.
She added that instead of speaking to how certain areas can be improved and providing “vision based solutions” the Opposition presented their woes.
Teixeira said that she waited for APNU’s Financial Spokesman Carl Greenidge, being an older politician, to present to the Parliament his vision for Guyana, but again, “he came with the same mantra; reduce VAT, and Berbice bridge fees, increase salaries, and old age pensions, but he did not give one new idea for a new venture for his country or his people.”
“I will just use a classical tale of how absurd people could get on in this House about how there were only 20 rolls of toilet paper in the ward of the hospital. This is a Budget for the future and that could be done at a later time in a question to the relevant Minister. I submit that the Opposition speakers seem to have suffered from some level of tunnel vision.”
She continued, “The Opposition cannot ignore that life has changed in Guyana. Poverty has been reduced and will continue to be reduced under the PPP Government. Yes, we can deliver more goods and services efficiently, but does the Opposition have any suggestions?”
“You talk about partnership but it’s all a bunch of fluff because you don’t come to us…you don’t sit with us. As a Government we want the betterment of the people. Children in all communities have access to the same things and you think that is done by the flick of a magic wand or because you say so? The days of children pushing carts with drums of water miles up the road and skipping school are over… The days of 71 percent of pregnant women being anaemic are over; the days when Amerindian children couldn’t access secondary education are over. When 13, 000 solar units are given over, it radically changes their lives. The children can do their homework as opposed to times before,” she told the House.
The Member of Parliament then implored the Opposition to consult with an optometrist for their “tunnel vision” as she continued to present the House with statistics which she claims show that there has been improvement in social services under the PPP Government.
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