Murray and Co asleep while the Budget was being read.

Stabroek News: The $142.8 billion budget announced yesterday by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has been lambasted by members of the parliamentary opposition who say that the budget offers “nothing new” to Guyanese.

Shadow Finance Minister PNCR-1G MP Winston Murray said that Singh’s presentation was “long on words and short on substance”. He noted that Singh had delivered a three-hour presentation but he criticised the finance minister for not outlining how the administration plans to “lift Guyanese out of poverty” and improve their general lives. He noted that the budget also failed to address the issue of unemployment.

He also spoke about the burden of the value added tax (VAT) which he described as a millstone around people’s necks. He noted that VAT has proved to be a great revenue earner for the government but he opined that this money was being spelt widely without it being channelled to lift the burdens of the people.


Winston Murray

Murray noted that while this year’s budget which amounts to $142.8 billion, is the largest in the country’s history, there was no mention of measures being put in place to address corruption. He said corruption is causing funds to be “leaked out of the system” and it appeared that the administration had no interest in addressing this issue.

Winston Murray agreed that Dr Ashni Singh is boasting the largest budget in GUYANA’S HISTORY ($GY 143B).
But Mr Murray goes on to whinge that there was no mention of measures being put in place to address corruption.

Perhaps Murray went for a nap when the Finance Minister informed that … “Custom trade taxes are projected to collect $8.3 billion which is partly due to IMPROVED SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES”

Wrap up the good news any way you like, Murray:

1 The buoyant PRIVATE SECTOR has generated an increased taxation by 5% from corporation taxes and income from the self employed.

2 GDP growth last year was 2.3%. This year it is projected at 4.4% and the world is in a downturn.

3 Guyana’s inflation rate is now 3.6% and I wonder if Murray can remember what the inflation rate was like when Dictator Burnham lorded it over Guyana?

It is not the responsibility of any Government to "lift" its citizens out of poverty. And such a suggestion by Murray speaks volumes about the PNC's attempts to make the citizens and their supporters dependent on the state. Rather, it is the citizens who who must 'lift' themselves through hard word. It is the responsibility of the Government however, to create the conditions necessary for such a development and the significant investments in infrastructure highlighted in this year's Budget is geared towards creating jobs as jobs generate spending power and thus gives the citizens ample opportunity to 'lift' themselves out of poverty.