Budget workshop being seen as “a serious time for reflection”

Jul 25, 2017 News

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By Kiana Wilburg

“A serious time for reflection” is how Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan sought to characterize as well as set the tone for his Ministry’s Budget 2018 preparation and sensitisation training workshop which was held at the Marriott Hotel.
Present at the opening ceremony were heads of Budget Agencies, other senior officials of the Government; and members of the media.
In his address, the Finance Minister reminded that when the coalition Government acceded to Office, in May 2015, it did so with a promise to improve transparency and accountability.
Jordan recalled that in its maiden budget, the Government’s vision for the development of the country, and the plans, programmes and policies that it proposed to pursue, were all firmly rooted in the solemn belief that all Guyanese can achieve the “good life”.
Jordan said that the Government continued to stress the importance of building a strong, resilient economy capable of withstanding shocks and sustaining high growth levels.
In this regard, he quoted page 15 of his 2016 budget which says, “… the policies, programmes, reforms and measures envisaged in this budget are designed to stimulate the economy to achieve higher growth rates. It is an economy which is growing at ever higher rates, with benefits being more equitably distributed, which will enable us to bring the ‘good life’ closer to reality. We cannot continue to have the see-saw growth that has been witnessed over the past three decades and expect to solve pressing issues such as unemployment and poverty. We have to be innovative in our approach and bold in our measures, if we are to build an economy that stands on a foundation of granite…”
In Budget 2017, at page three, Jordan also emphasised the importance of achieving strong growth and accelerated development to the benefit of the people.
In particular, he said: “… We have resolved to pursue a growth strategy that breaks with the monotonous cycle of a few highs and perennial low prices of primary stage commodity production. We have to match the expectations of our people for a better life. But we would not be able to deliver if we stay the current course. To do so would allow the confluence of adversities and challenges to continue to constrain us from seizing the opportunity to chart a new direction.”
The Finance Minister explained that his reason for recalling those two quotes from the respective budget speeches, were not only due to their aptness – in the context of the focus of the training and sensitisation workshop – but, also, to remind those present of Government’s mission.
Jordan said that achieving the “good life” is not a mantra, a slogan, an abstract concept or nirvana.
He said, “It is our fixation, our constant reminder, that we were put in Government to improve the quality of life of all Guyanese, through the improvement in the quality and quantity of goods and services that we must deliver to them, whether they be safer communities; quality education and health care; greater access within and among our 10 regions; improved governance; sustainable job creation; and a stable economic environment, among the myriad number of outputs.”
The Minister said that all of these will be embodied in the Green State Development Strategy, which the Government is currently developing with support from United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).
Jordan said that these national goals will incorporate the relevant Sustainable Development Goals and any outstanding targets related to the Millennium Development Goals.
The Finance Minister asserted that the administration continues to champion good governance and transparency as it goes forward, and, to that end, the national budget, as a policy tool, is the main vehicle through which policy is communicated and implemented, and results are achieved.
The economist noted that once again, the nation is at that time of year in the budget cycle, when Budget Agencies are required to revise and update their plans for the next four years.
In the process of doing so, he said that the respective heads of agencies will need to be cognisant of the vision of the Government and, in the context of their specific agency, articulate their strategic goals and objectives as their contribution to achieving this vision.
He said that they will also need to examine their performance framework, and ensure that requests for allocations of resources will directly and measurably contribute to the achievement of programme deliverables, that is, the results.
The Finance Minister said, “It is also a time for serious reflection on past performance; a time to determine what works and what doesn’t; what is contributing to the expected outcomes of the programme and what is not; what programmes need to be scrapped altogether, what needs to be re-engineered, what needs to be expanded and what needs to improve.”
He stated that it is a time for the respective heads of agencies to ask what is the theory of change being pursued for a programme and whether it is being achieved. Furthermore, in all of his years of being associated with budgeting, Jordan related that he has stressed, repeatedly, the need to have a planned approach to managing agencies, often with undesirable results.
Jordan added, “But, I will reiterate here: Do not wait for the Budget Hearings in September to be asked these questions by the Ministry of Finance. You need to be doing that all year round and with greater intensity.
The Finance Minister concluded that this will certainly aid them in understanding and ensuring that the quality of what they request from the national treasury is worthy of consideration.

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