“Transforming the Economy, Empowering People, Building Sustainable Communities for the Good Life” (Excerpts from a statement in support of Budget 2019 by Hon. Ronald Bulkan MP)

Dec 16, 2018 APNU Column, Features / Columnists

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Budget 2019 is crafted to create the enabling economic environment to promote growth and development, to deliver the goods and services to our citizens while addressing the challenges inherited by this government. It aims to expand economic opportunities for our business sector, create employment, empower our citizens; and address those priorities which are seen to offer better results to transform the lives of our citizens.
Budget 2019 contains very progressive policy measures; in support of our Green Agenda, there are incentives for companies utilizing alternate energy technologies; we have increased the income tax threshold to $780,000 meaning that a person earning this much pays zero income tax, a 30 percent increase in the threshold, since the Coalition Government came to office; the minimum wage, increasing it for public servants to $64,200. up from $39,000, a 61% increase in a mere two and a half years!
We have offered salary increases to all public servants, we have catered to our youth, we continue to build the infrastructure in the critical sectors of education, health and public security. Amid all the noise emanating from the purveyors of doom, we are quietly empowering people.
The theme of Budget 2019, “Transforming the Economy, Empowering People, Building Sustainable Communities for the Good Life” encapsulates the vision of this government, a vision which we have never shied away from, that an empowered nation, an empowered people, is critical to advancing national development, building cohesion, transforming the economy and affording the needed opportunities for sustainable communities and a good life.
It is a vision which views equal opportunities and collective welfare benefits as inextricably linked to sustainable community building and national development.
This government has been steadfast in its commitment to transforming the lives of our citizens. We have not wavered in that commitment and we will never waver. Similarly, we have committed to the strategic, meaningful and constitutional role of embedding local democracy in our national development.
Our constitution lays great emphasis on the involvement of people in the task of managing their communities and developing the areas in which they live. In particular, it envisages people being involved in the day-to-day decision-making processes which affect their daily lives. [Arts. 71, 74 & 75]
The holding of Local Government Elections in 2018 – the first-time consecutive elections were held in our post-independence history- as lawfully due- removes any uncertainty about the primacy of local democracy, and reinforces our commitment to democratic renewal at the local level. An APNU+AFC government will not deny the citizens of this country the right to elect their local leaders and to play a meaningful role in the sustainable development of their communities. No more odious IMCs!
This renewal has seen the emergence of a 27-year old as Chief Citizen of our Capital City – Georgetown. It has also resulted in the election of a 22-year old as the Chairman of the Beterverwagting/Triumph NDC. The Mayor of Bartica is a young man…. large numbers of our newly-elected councillors are below the age of 35.
Young leaders are appearing all across the country, building critical human and leadership capital to safeguard Guyana’s future. This bears testimony to the administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, inclusivity, promoting diversity and entrenching democratic governance; thanks to the vision of President Granger and the investments made in every one of our five budgets.
This is an integral part of the “sustainability” that this Budget speaks of, but there is a saying that there is none so blind as those who do not wish to see.
My attention was drawn to an article published on Friday November 3, 2018 – titled “Govt … weakening democracy… The article which quotes extensively from statements made by an overseas NGO -The International Centre for Democracy – accuses the Government of not having intentions for “strengthening democracy in Guyana … of weakening the democratic fabric … of an assault on democracy!” Our action, however speaks for itself and it nails the propaganda being peddled.
It is within this context and the related public policy that the Ministry of Communities has, since its establishment, focused on rebuilding the institution and capacities of the local government system (LGS) to enable the efficient, effective and sustainable provision of services countrywide.
Budget 2019 further reflects the Motto of the Ministry – Building Cohesive, Empowered and Sustainable Communities. It provides for sustainable local government as a critical partner in national development, and the continued strategic support of rebuilding the LGS. These priority areas include but are not limited to; community participation, institutional strengthening and capacity building, financial security and funding of councils and regional development; in addition to our core sectors of housing, water and sanitation for the delivery of a ‘community experience’.
Budget 2019 caters to increase access to affordable housing units and increased occupancy, particularly within infrastructural underdeveloped schemes (another deformed project inherited from the previous administration), which requires considerable resources to rectify; to make habitable and suitable to our citizens. Of particular pride to us is the Hinterland Housing Programme where a large number of households in the Barima/Waini and Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo Regions have benefitted from housing subsidies by way of core homes and roof replacements.
(to be continued)

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