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‘Oil revenue budget will only benefit the elites’ – Opposition MP
Kaieteur News – Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Ronald Cox, said the presentation of the country’s first ‘oil budget’ proved disappointing for the masses. During the first day of budget debates, Cox said that Budget 2023, as presented by Senior Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, was devoid of economic strength for the ordinary man.
Referencing a news article that spoke to the hardships that ordinary Guyanese face with the existing inflation, Cox who hails from Region One said that while the government boasts about measures implemented to cushion the effects of inflation, those measures are not being felt.
APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Ronald Cox
“Mr. Speaker, this government must not come to the National Assembly and boast about what benefits a few elites while the largest mass of the Guyanese people continues to struggle,” the Opposition MP said.
Cox called on the Government to pay attention to its weaknesses and address them so that those at the bottom of the economic ladder can also benefit. The MP also challenged the government to implement programmes that will assist and benefit Guyana’s indigenous peoples instead of wanton distribution of money without a plan.
“Our communities seem like a well-regurgitated script from previous budgets. It is a known fact that Guyana is poised for economic takeoff and the extent to which we can do so is dependent on the choices we make and our ability to collectively harness the skills and talents of our people in a bid to achieve progress and development,” he stated.
Turning his attention to the issuance of government scholarships, Cox accused the government of only providing scholarships to persons who have access to ministers and senior government officials.
He gave a personal example applying for the government scholarship. He said he submitted an application but he had to call the Minister for assistance. Cox said that it was after meeting with the Minister that the scholarship was approved. He is pursuing a Masters Degree in Education.
“They don’t have the privilege like me to call the Minister on her phone to help facilitate a scholarship; so they wouldn’t be getting any (scholarship) because they can’t do that (call the Minister). “Is that what we have to get at?” Cox questioned.
Cox also told the National Assembly that many Indigenous persons have been unable to benefit from the scholarships because they do not have internet in their communities.
However, Public Service Minister Sonia Parag who spoke immediately after Cox rebutted the Opposition MP’s statements.
“My cellphone number is on my Facebook available to all Guyanese, so it’s not just Mr. Cox that can call me and get through. Any Guyanese can call me and get through and that is how our government has operated from August 2 to now and we will continue to do so,” Parag stated.
Parag said it was during one of her community meetings engaging with people in Mabaruma, North West District that she met Cox about his scholarship. She told the National Assembly that in 2022, 167 Region One residents received Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships while 558 persons received scholarships from Region Two; 1,429 from Region Three; 3,090 from Region Four; 635 from Region Five; 894 from Region Six; 191 from Region Seven; 46, from Region Eight; 143 from Region Nine; and 527 from Region 10.
Minister Parag disclosed that her ministry will surpass the 20,000 targets this year, with possible increases leading up to 2025.
She said that in addition to the GOAL scholarships, the government continues to invest heavily in the provision of Public Service Scholarships. She noted in 2022, some 420 public servants were actively completing their scholarships at various institutions including the University of Guyana and the Carnegie School of Home Economics.
The minister disclosed that 1,221 government employees will be continuing their studies beyond 2022.
According to Parag, with $1.8B allocated to advance the GOAL scholarship initiative, the Government is well on its way to achieving its five-year target this year, with 24 months to spare.
- National Assembly, Opposition Member of Parliament, Public Service Minister Sonia Parag, Ronald Cox, Senior Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh
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