Govt. unashamed budget supports Private Sector — Min. Indar

Feb 03, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Members of the political opposition have, from day one of the Budget Debates for this year, lamented what they contend is a policy document of spending aimed at benefiting only the Private Sector and not the working and poorer class of people in the country.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar during his presentation yesterday.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, is however adamant, the administration has no shame or regrets or need to distance itself from the Private Sector with regard its budget policies.
According to Minister Indar, the Private Sector employs 65 percent of the working population. The total labour force, he said, is documented at around 251,000 persons, of which just over 70,000 are employed in the public sector.
Non-Government Organisations, he said, account for the remainder of the employment figures—figures provided by the National Bureau of Statistics.
To this end, the Minister within the Public Works Ministry said, “…if you don’t address the Private Sector, then the budget is a misfit.”
It is in this vein that he downplayed arguments against the Budget—arguments that point to a Budget being in favour of the Private Sector and Business Class.
Qualifying his position further, the Minister pointed to the revenue stream of government such as income taxes which account for some $89B from the Private Sector.
He spoke to additional revenues to be had from taxes paid by the private sector, such as import duties and other licence and fees paid.
According to Indar, it is the private sector which passes on the majority of money into the coffers of the country—money that is then used to execute government programmes.
As such, he contends, the argument that the Budget is money for the “big boys” is a weak argument by the opposition.
Addressing the points of view proffered by opposition Shadow Spokesperson on Finance, Juretha Fernandes, the government Minister was quick to dismiss her analysis as novice.
On the matter of her critique of the agricultural and other sectoral performance, Indar sought to remind of the floods of last year, which he deemed as a once in a 1,000 year event.
Additionally, on the matter of inflation and its steep rise and the impact on the cost of living, the government minister was quick to rebut, saying the issue has to be seen in the global context and reminded of factors such as increased shipping costs.
Addressing the Opposition Members directly, he said, “you have an issue about inflation. What is driving inflation. Don’t we know, there is a global supply chain issue?”
There has also been criticism against one of the relief measure, namely the withholding tax that was paid by resident contractors, since removed by the administration.
According to Indar, the critique of this measure is among the more “grotesque” of the criticisms, since the tax being talked about is a levy paid by persons such as the man cleaning the drains. To this end, he dismissed the criticisms as “kangalang analysis.”
He further contends, that for the opposition to argue that Budget 2022 is not people centred “is hogwash.”
He qualified this position by pointing to the billions in allocations for sectors such as Health, Education, Housing Infrastructure and other Social Services, arguing, their objectives are all to benefit poor people.

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