In a fiery address before Parliament, on Day Three of the Budget Debate, Opposition Member of Parliament, Nima Flue-Bess, eviscerated the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government’s Budget 2025, branding it a “kleptocracy wrapped in a veil of mendacity.” Her critique, laden with biting rhetoric and scathing indictments, painted a stark picture of broken promises, misplaced priorities, and systemic neglect.
Pensioners and the Poor: Scraps from the Table
Flue-Bess lambasted the meager $5,000 pension increase, calling it an “insult to those who built this nation.” At a mere $167 per day, pensioners, she argued, are left to struggle while the government continues its reckless spending. The $3,000 public assistance increase fares no better—a paltry $100 per day, hardly enough to counteract inflation and deliberate price gouging.
“This is not relief; this is calculated neglect,” she declared.
Infrastructure: Empty Promises and Ghost Projects
The much-touted Demerara Harbour Bridge and promised 50% electricity reductions? Mere smoke and mirrors, according to Flue-Bess, who questioned the government’s ever-shifting completion timelines. The $11 billion part-time job initiative? Another hoax for the people, but a bonanza for the government’s friends, family, and favourites.
The Value Added Tax (VAT) removal on backup generators, she argued, only benefits the wealthy, leaving the common citizen to endure relentless blackouts.
Our children’s education is being stolen by darkness, and this government does nothing but pontificate about progress, she warned.
Culture: A Tool for Political Domination?
The $3.6 billion allocation for culture is, at first glance, a generous investment—but Flue-Bess exposed a sinister underbelly. She argued that 57.2% of the funds are funneled into infrastructure, leaving artistes and musicians scrambling for crumbs. Worse yet, the government’s “One Guyana” mantra, she claimed, has become a weapon to politicise culture and erase diversity.
Guyanese cannot afford to see the same drummers, the same dancers, the same musicians at every event, she declared, slamming the lack of inclusivity in cultural expressions.
Flue-Bess pledged that an A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)-led government would restore cultural freedom, fund artistes without political interference, and establish a Cultural Industries Secretariat to empower creatives.
Youth: A Generation Betrayed
The $1.2 billion youth budget is, in her words, a “mockery.” The Youth Advisory Council gets a mere $75 million, while youth displaced from communities like Cane View, Sarah Johanna, and Hill-foot see no support.
She called out the oil and gas industry’s failure to provide real opportunities, highlighting that short-term training programs force 12-month curricula into just four months, setting young people up for failure.
An APNU-led government, she vowed, would launch long-term training programmes, fund youth entrepreneurship, and establish business hubs at major transit points like airports and stadiums.
Sports: From Glory to Neglect
2024 should have been a landmark year for Guyanese sports, but Flue-Bess instead uncovered a shocking cover-up—the tragic July 9th drowning of 14-year-old Joel Adams at a state-run swimming programme. The lack of accountability, she argued, is symptomatic of the government’s disregard for athlete welfare. Post mortem report said the child died from a fractured spine and blunt trauma to the neck
“Athletes who bring home medals must fund their own training. Coaches work for free. Where is the support?” she demanded.
The CPL blackout scandal, leaky stadium roofs, and missing government officials at key events were further evidence of chronic mismanagement. The $8 billion sports budget, she warned, is 80% infrastructure-based, meaning athletes will once again be shortchanged.
Flue-Bess pledged that an APNU government would invest in grassroots sports, provide scholarships for young athletes, and partner with international organizations for better funding.
A Nation at a Crossroads
Flue-Bess left no doubt: Budget 2025 is not a plan for prosperity—it is a calculated blueprint for cronyism and continued disenfranchisement. She urged Guyanese to reject the PPPC’s deception and rally behind the national motto, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.”
“This government has mastered the art of empty rhetoric,” she concluded. “But the Guyanese people deserve more than illusions. They deserve leadership.”
