Budget 2021 lacks equity, fairness – Christopher Jones 

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Christopher Jones posited on Monday that Budget 2021 lacks equity and fairness in the way the PPP/C has designed it to marginalize key sections of society, whether intentional or through poor planning.

One of the main reasons highlighted for his position is the $7B appropriated for the COVID-19 Cash Grant Relief which many Guyanese are yet to receive. He said that, in many instances, tenants have been overlooked simply because they are aligned with the coalition or residing within a Coalition stronghold.

Added to this, he said that while others were told that the distributors would return to cater for those who did not receive the grant, no monies have been set aside to cater for this. “From all appearances comrade Speaker, budget 2021 does not cater for a stimulus package for small and large-scale businesses. There are no stimulus packages for those in the hospitality industry and entities in the tourism industry; no additional monies were allocated for a second tranche disbursement for COVID-19. Comrade Speaker, what about the thousands of Guyanese who are holding those pink slips from the first phase of distribution? No monies for them either!” Jones told the House.

Another blow to Guyanese, Jones said, is the hundreds of Guyanese fired by the Government during the pandemic. He said that the move has left hundreds of breadwinners and single parents in financial jeopardy while PPP/C Members of Parliament are able to take home millions of dollars originating from taxpayers. Jones said that as if this were not enough, the Government has decided to inject an additional $2B into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) which the APNU+AFC considers dead.

The MP said that during the budget presentation, Minister with responsibly for Finance, Ashni Singh, failed to announce any increases in wages and salaries for public servants while the sugar industry benefitted both from budget 2020 and budget 2021. He said: “Guyanese will not be satisfied with the notion that GuySuCo simply breaks even. The industry is dead and it should be laid to rest.”

In his presentation, Jones also raised concern about insufficient information within the budget on how the PPP/C intends to create its promised 50,000 jobs and insufficient allocations towards development in the interest of the youth and women.