Dr. Asha Kissoon throws full support behind Budget 2025

Jan 31, 2025 News

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…as fellow Opposition MPs storm out National Assembly during presentation

By Shania Williams

Kaieteur News- Deputy Speaker and Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Asha Kissoon, who represents The New Movement (TNM) and Joinder party list in the National Assembly has thrown her full support behind the government’s $1.3 trillion Budget.

Dr. Kissoon in her budget presentation on Thursday was greeted with disdain by her fellow opposition parliamentarians when she rose to contribute to Day Four of the 2025 budget debates.

The controversial parliamentarian has refused to give up her seat in the National Assembly as was agreed in a Memorandum of understanding signed by A New and United Guyana (ANUG), TNM and the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP). By way of the agreement, Dr. Kissoon who also serves as the Deputy Speaker should have given up her seat since November 2023.

As Dr. Kissoon began her presentation, her colleagues on the opposition side of the House left the parliament chamber.

“The opposition has really made me feel welcomed because this house is witnessing a pot calling the kettle black. These are the same colleagues who squatted in government for five months after the no confidence motion was passed so they are free to do whatever they want to do,” she said.

Dr. Kissoon spoke boldly of her support for this year’s budget noting that despite being an opposition MP she is an independent thinker.

“It is so unheard of that a member of the opposition could agree with government on something in the budget. Are there no longer free thinkers who exists in the opposition? Is it so unheard of that a government could present a budget to us and we agree with what’s in it, we need to do better!” she remarked.

Additionally, Kissoon criticized the opposition for accusing the government of awarding state contracts to “friends, families and favourites”.

“There have been hundreds, if not thousands of contracts given in different ministries in government, and these are persons who have worked hard and put their bids in regardless of which party they have voted for. Now they are being victimized by our opposition, by accusing them of being favourites of government and that’s the only reason why they are doing work in our country, to build our own nation with their own hard earned taxpayers’ dollars. I would like to recognize that this is unfair to them, and we should not victimize our Guyanese people by accusing them of being friends, favourites and family but by the hard work they are doing,” Dr. Kissoon stated.

Meanwhile, the opposition MP made suggestions to further enhance the country’s development as an oil producing economy. One of her key proposals was the creation of a specialized fund to support citizens in need of medical services abroad, eliminating the need for fundraising campaigns.

She also recommended reducing the minimum age for applying for government loans from 21 to 18 and introducing interest-free loans for first-time landowners.

“I’m aware that this is an issue that has been debated many times, but young people should have the right to invest in their future early and contribute to national development.  To make this a reality the government could consider introducing interest free loans for first time landowners backed by state guarantees and further subsidized land pricing for youth applicants,” Dr. Kissoon said.

Additionally, she called for greater scrutiny of contractors responsible for poor quality infrastructural work.

“We cannot have contractors doing work that is not up to par for the Guyanese people. Attention must be paid to the quality of work being laid out, ensure that we get what we paid for [and] ensure that contractors are held accountable and complete quality work for the people of Guyana,” the opposition MP urged.

On the issue of the high cost-of-living, Dr. Kissoon suggested that the government further subsidizes fuel prices, noting that “Reducing fuel costs will create a ripple effect”, lowering transportation costs and the price of goods. She also advocated for expanding the school feeding programs to reduce the financial burden on families, stating, “I believe in Guyana that we can afford this for all grades, and all schools.”

Dr. Kissoon also urged the government to support the hemp industry and to establish a public veterinarian clinic while advocating for increased attention and financial support for commissions tasked with protecting the country’s wildlife.

 

(Dr. Asha Kissoon throws full support behind Budget 2025)

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• Asha Kissoon, budget 2025, controversial Parliamentarian, opposition walks out

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