Latest update November 29th, 2024 1:00 AM
UG’s budgetary allocation meagre
…Cathy Hughes calls for more investment to boost educational capabilities
Kaieteur News – Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) Cathy Hughes has taken the Government to task over its decision to pump billions of dollars from the national budget into other educational schemes and not into the University of Guyana.
As part of its efforts to meet the increasing demand for qualified persons and to strengthen Guyana’s human resource capacity, the government has allocated some $3.7 billion to manage and develop the University of Guyana (UG) in 2023.
Alliance For Change MP, Cathy Hughes
However, during her budget presentation, Hughes noted that while the government says it wants to equip Guyanese with the qualifications and skills needed to boost local content and fill the demands of the oil and gas industry, their investment in the University of Guyana says otherwise.
She asserted, “How can you justify putting over $4 billion into sports and little over three billion to the University of Guyana, the premier institution when we so desperately need to fill the skills gap and local content requirements that currently exists. Five of the eight faculties at UG are science based with the faculty of social sciences housing 12 different disciplines.”
Hughes questioned, “How do you justify the goal scholarship programme getting about half of UG’s budget with no physical infrastructure to manage the high expectations…? Does this make logical sense? Mr. Speaker, politics should never intrude on our educational capability.”
The Member of Parliament (MP) said that it was the opposition’s hope that free tuition at the University of Guyana (UG) would have been announced during the reading of this year’s budget.
“We still trust that this will be done because this is where our oil monies will have the biggest impact. Mr. Speaker, we have been told that free education will come before 2025. But with an over $700 billion budget, couldn’t we give the students a break now. Say a 50% reduction, or a 25% rebate /subsidy on those fees,” she suggested.
Further, Hughes noted that while the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition was in office, there was no oil revenues to make permanent salary increases in the minimum wage of teachers, nurses, doctors, members of the defence services, police and security forces. However, in an oil economy, nothing extra was added to the permanent salaries of minimum wage workers.
“In 2015, it moved from $39,570 to $50,000 a 26% increase, 10% in 2016, from 55,000 to 60,000 – 20%, …over the four years minimum wage increased from 39,570 to 70,000 by 2019 – 77% …And in this booming oil economy, nothing extra was added on permanent salaries,” she remarked.
The AFC MP recommended that the Government takes the minimum wage to $100,000.
“Mr. Speaker of great concern, which is reflected is this 2023 budget, is this Government’s propensity to provide cash grants instead of increasing the wages and salary levels. Don’t the poorest of Guyanese with rent or a mortgage, a family most likely, electricity, food, deserve at least that?” the MP asked.
Hughes said that she holds nothing against the government for wanting to “top up” its citizens regularly; cash grants must be disbursed in a fair and equitable manner with the relevant system in place to avoid manipulation and corruption.
“Mr. Speaker, this budget focuses overwhelmingly on the big projects that allow the established big business to partake and compete. There is very little to address our historic inequalities and help expand the base. Mr. Speaker, ensuring the economic and social advancement of all our citizens, while keeping the economy productive, stimulating new sectors for economic development, ensuring sustainable development and diversification even in this new oil and gas economy is a must,” Hughes added.
In addition, Hughes warned against mismanagement of the oil funds since the commodity is liable to price shock.
She said, “We must think ahead and plan to manage the shocks in oil prices that will come as surely as day follows night and our levels of borrowing are therefore a concern. We must ensure that borrowing is not excessive.”
- Alliance For Change (AFC), Cathy Hughes, Guyana, Member of Parliament (MP), University of Guyana (UG)
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