Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh presented the Government’s $781.9 Billion Budget. On Monday three Opposition MPs viz Hon. Nima Flue- Bess, Hon. Amanza Walton-Desir and Hon. Ganesh Mahipaul debated the Government’s Budget in the National Assembly.
M.P. Flue- Bess represented Region 4 (East Bank Demerara) under the aspects of Culture, Youth and Sports. Her presentation started with her singing a portion of the national anthem. She then described the budget with the following adjectives: uninspiring, hopeless, misleading and troubled.
She stated, “Since the PPP/C government was placed in government in 2020 their first budget ‘A Plan for Prosperity’ resulted in the destruction of the people at Success, East Coast, Demerara. Their second budget in 2021 ‘A Path to Recovery’ was set on a path for dynamism and resilience, however what we say was the average Guyanese being resilient with the economic doom.”
She continued by saying that they (the Opposition) thought those on the other side of the house (the PPP/C Government) were on the path to recovery after being out of office for five years and had learned something about how to serve people.
With the largest budget in 2022, it proved no different, as such the Guyanese populace had a good feel of what it meant to be steadfast against all challenges.
“Challenges challenges, of the high cost of living, eschalots from $100 to $500, sugar from $300 to $500, oil Mr. Speaker from $360 to $800 all of these challenges the Guyanese populace had to deal with,” M.P. Flue- Bess mentioned.
Further M.P. Flue- Bess added, “The grants Mr. Speaker, are static, but the prices keep climbing and the people clinging for survival. Businesses enjoy all the removal of taxes, but what can they say? Are the customers beneffiting from this tax reduction? I ask those on the other side of the house, if the customers were benefitting from the tax reduction given. What measures were there to ensure that the customers benefitted from the tax reduction? Mr. Speaker, none, from my investigation, we have not. These challenges were further complicated with the 7.2% inflation rate that lashed Guyanese in every possible way.
“As an ordinary citizen, Mr. Speaker I went through and was wondering if this is the 7.2% inflation and then I called all the people I know, because those on the other side of the house said that they know all the maths. So, I called, pension 28,000 and if calculated with the 7.2% meant that is an increase you actually find them $2,016 less, so the pensioners actually get $25, 984. Mr. Speaker, when we talk about grants 25,000 and you take the 7.2%, they actually benefit $23,200. If we talk about the part-time jobs working for $40,000 then you have a 7.2 inflation rate, you actually take out $2,820 from the $40,000 leaving them with $37, 100,” she added.
M.P. Flue-Bess stated, $150,000 when you calculate the 7.2% inflation rate what you got they actually got $139 200 Mr Speaker this is the reality on the ground this is what we the Guyanese people have to deal with every single day that you go out to shop, to the market, to the minibus and all of that you know Mr Speaker all the high all the hype when you talk about the inflation and you go simply for a pack of flour.
She added, “It is $500 with inflation you actually would spend $536 for the pack of flour Mr. Speaker but then again static income. All the time the price is going up. The people at the shop Mr Speaker, if they go to the minibus and the minibus increase the fare when they come back, they would say 536 plus $2 for the transportation, so the ordinary guy who needs it will pay $538 for the flour.
“Mr. Speaker, if they go to the market and they have to get a Cartman to push the product to the minibus and they increase their monies, and that price will go right back to the customer so the reality is Mr Speaker that is what our Guyanese populace have been dealing with and when we examine budget 2023 we do not see any additional measures to bring ease.
“So, the question is: did the budget, did the government actually do any evaluation to complete new measures that can bring relief to the people we increase you increase you will talk about the increase of pension to $33, 000? Well now you have to wonder, Mr. Speaker, how will the inflation rate affect what will take place this year, so the seniors as much as they would be happy to have $33,000, you still have to add the inflation rate.”
M.P. Flue-Bess posited that it is now the responsibility of the government to find additional measures to assist the senior citizens. “All those that are getting these little pittances for increase so that they can survive what happened?”
She asked why it is that the pensioners can’t turn up at the pension office and collect a bag of basic groceries where an additional $33, 000 can bring some proper relief to the people Mr. Speaker these are things that we look at.
She noted that the well-being of the Guyanese population is at risk, and now they have the added stress of trying to survive.
Further she mentioned that is what we’re dealing with therefore, we are creating a more unhealthy population because people now have to figure out how they are going to manage their money, how they’ll deal with these issues and to provide for their families as the income remains static.
“You know one of the amazing things about preparation of the budget when you sit down and you go through it the military got this increase right and they were all excited. But then when I sit down and I calculated and saw the 8% they got. They got that particular money right, then when you calculate the one month bonus that he actually gets and then you divide it and you take away all this inflation from it the people actually only my $14,000 bonus money,” added M.P. Flue Bess.
She highlighted, “when we talk about bonus, we mean it’s something really extra that you could get something from is that’s what we talk about bonus Mr Speaker but again we want to fool our people with words Mr. Speaker.”
She continued by stating, “Mr Speaker, the government demonstrated what it meant about being resolute in building one Guyana as they seized the opportunity while they were still in the fastest season to break up the homes, damage all the personal belongings, bury the
Animals, carefully landed through trees and helped destroy the main economic source income for nine families in seven houses at Cane View, Mocha.”
“When we talk about a budget that is supposed to protect and provide for the people but
what we have seen Mr. Speaker is not that.”
“Mr Speaker when we speak of Cane View, people spent years building, farming, providing for the children, the entire culture was destroyed from the actions of the government they sent Nino Mr Speaker, they’re sending the weapons of mass destruction there’s CHPA workers, the police, the bulldozers, all of this was used to destroy the livelihood of the families at Caneview Mr Speaker,” M.P. Flue- Bess stated.
She noted that thank God she is about improving their lives and building prosperity for tomorrow.
“Mr. Speaker, what we would expect to see is that our local Democratic Council, Mr. Speaker will be given the opportunity to serve the people in the right way and not political apartheid. Go ahead and distribute grants, distribute flood relief, doing this, doing that and not meaningfully engaging our people Mr. Speaker. If we speak of prosperity Mr. Speaker it means therefore Mr Speaker that every Guyanese will be treated equally and be respected when the government is distributing its resources and dealing with the people of Guyana,” she noted.
She ended her presentation by stating, Mr Speaker , I want to thank you for listening to my presentation. I trust that the members on the other side of the house will take the opportunity to serve as they would have read. and talking out of office serve without fear, favour, affection and in will and will serve the people of Guyana truly and justly, I thank you.
