Budget debate on oil money

Feb 05, 2022 Editorial

Kaieteur News – The opposition is saying that “Govt. has no clear plan to spend $126B of oil money – Opposition MP says $89B vulnerable to being lost to corruption” (KN February 1). It looks like it is going to be turbulent February, valentine day and all, and not forgetting the national celebration of Mashramani towards the latter part of the month. Regarding the government’s plan, or lack of a clear one, on spending that huge oil money amount, we say to our fellow citizens, don’t be fooled and lulled into a false sense of security on that, because the PPP/C Government, during the few brief years that it was in the opposition, had ample time to think of, design, and ready itself with plans on how to steal at will the oil and other monies of this country. The only obstacle in its way was elections, which is now history, with the coast clear to implement those plans for oil money.
The oil money, $126B of it, is in the national budget for 2022. Given the government’s one seat majority, that means it was over before the debates started, meaning, that those billions are going to be approved for the plans of PPP/C leaders and ministers in the government, as well as their supportive public servants, to be put into action. Already, there is general awareness of the huge amounts identified for various sectors in the economy, which are sure to follow the now traditional path of projects, bids and contract awards, with much of the money siphoned off by PPP/C leaders and their friends and cronies in the special criminal cabal that enjoys insider treatment. There was always that vision in place, and matters now take form and shape with which areas are getting what and how much.
It does not need a magician or a prophet to appreciate how much of this oil money in the budget will be spent for the official purposes intended, and how much more will end up in the pockets of the contract bandits and the political rogues who empower them with awards, sometimes inexplicable, most times not making sense. The Opposition MP took the position that “$89B vulnerable to being lost to corruption” which we think is being kind and generous. We say this because a quick division informs us that it is roughly 70 percent of the total $126M that is believed could be swindled in some way or the other. Many campaign financiers of the PPP/C during the elections ‘donated’ incredible sums of money to the party, so they have to recoup all of their investment, and then have enough left over to show a lavish profit.
Government public works projects are the umbrella under which to legitimise, so to speak, occasion to plunder the oil billions of this country. Bids and awards are the best camouflage to return favours rendered during the campaign season. There is a half-trillion plus in Guyana dollars to operate with, which gives countless opportunities to the insiders favoured to swindle even more lavishly the citizens of this country. When we look at the amounts earmarked for the various sectors under government management, it is undeniable that the budget percentages were overwhelmingly tilted in favour of the private sector, which gets to collect its rewards, at the expense of poor and hopeful Guyanese.
When one adds up the set asides (tax threshold increase, assistance for parents with children, pensioners and the financially distressed) of the PPP/C Government, as incorporated into the 2022 budget, it is stark as to how poorly the non-business, afflicted, and the needy fared in comparison to those who already have more than they know what to do with, but are still being gifted more. No matter how this is added up, be such direct benefits, indirectly, peripheral, and trickle-down all totalled, the lesser in this country did very poorly in this monster of a budget for this year. What the PPP/C Government ensured that it took care of was for the rich to get richer, the poor to be poorer, and the haves to have more and the have-nots to lament why they always come out last, and with still less than before.

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