By Svetlana Marshall
As the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spiral out of control with more deaths recorded, the Government is hoping that it can suppress the spread of the disease through the use of the COVID-19 vaccine, however, Opposition Member of Parliament, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley said despite this high dependency, the Administration has made no financial provision for the purchase of the vaccines.
“What is most ironic Mr. Speaker is that even though they have played lip service to placing all their eggs in the vaccine basket, there is no reference to the purchase of vaccines in the 2021 Budget. They could not find the monies to purchase the main thing they are hinging the path to recovery on… A VACCINE… instead Mr. Speaker, they are waiting for donations and freeness while boasting of a G$383B budget,” MP Sarabo-Halley said.
At the time, she was debating the proposed $383.1B Budget tabled in the National Assembly by the Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh.
As she rose on Wednesday to make her presentation in the Dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where the Assembly is being temporarily convened, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Parliamentarian submitted that with a population of approximately 747,000 people, the cost for vaccines would range from between $1.2B to $10.2B.
“Imagine Mr. Speaker, they boast about a 383 billion-dollar budget for 2021 but cannot find $1.2 billion dollars for vaccines to protect and safeguard Guyana’s most precious asset – our people,” she posited.
The Opposition MP added: “So, Mr. Speaker while there is a total dependence on vaccines, apparently, we are waiting on aid rather than ensuring our population is vaccinated. So even the dependence on vaccination seems to be a farce.”
In the 2021, Budget, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has set aside approximately $750M to support the roll out of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme with effect from this month. To date, Guyana has received 3000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated from Barbados.
The APNU+AFC Parliamentarian said while Dr. Singh has presented the Budget under the theme “A Path to Recovery, Economic Dynamism and Resilience,” the Government has failed to produce short-medium and long-term plans to enable the recovery of the nation from the pandemic, which has spanned for close to a year.
“Five months ago the 2020 budget gave no suggestion that the PPP had any idea how to deal with this pandemic and the 2021 Budget speech does no better. The reality, Mr. Speaker is that the 2021 Budget speech, just like Budget 2020, which was erroneously dubbed an emergency budget, outlines no clear policy, plan or programme, that would help Guyanese recover from the effects of the pandemic. Budget 2021 constantly refers to the so – called emergency budget of 2020 which completely lacked the elements of what would be required in an emergency and only catered to ensuring landlords and some private sector entities benefit,” MP Sarabo-Halley told the House.
To date, Guyana has recorded 193 COVID-19 related deaths and a total of 8,457 confirmed cases of the virus. Based on a statistical report released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday, seven persons at in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit while 37 persons are in institutional isolation and another 387 in home isolation.
MP Sarabo-Halley said even as the numbers are on the increase, no one is required to adhere to the supposed curfew nor the guidelines, and many do not.
“So, the PPP took the decision to do what it does best, fiddle, while Guyana burns,” she said.
“The fact is Mr. Speaker, the PPP has been and continues to be an abysmal failure in managing the spread of COVID-19 crisis, and as a consequence it continues to spiral out of control. The Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony and his battery of advisors seem to be clueless. An unofficial reopening of the entire country has occurred placing all citizens at risk. What is their plan… a vaccine? You see Mr. Speaker, the PPP has practically given up on managing the spread of COVID 19 leaving Guyanese to fend for themselves. The PPP awaits a vaccine,” she added.
Further, she said not only is the $25,000 COVID-19 cash relief grant is inadequate but it was not fairly distributed, resulting in thousands being left out in the cold.
“This pandemic has already lasted over a year, with no clear end in sight and there has been no real consideration for earnings lost over these months, resulting in the inability to pay rents and meet the range of other standing commitments plus new ones that include the purchase of computers and monthly internet costs for students required to attend online classes,” she reasoned.
The Opposition added: “There are thousands of eligible Guyanese who have not yet received their $25,000 but the members on the opposite side are so caught up in their grand scheme of destroying any and all potential wealth in the black community, to care whether the neediest of our society were able to receive the meager $25.000.”
MP Sarabo-Halley is among Opposition MPs that have thus far signaled their non-support for the 2021 Budget as presented by Government.
