The budget debates have ended. The estimates are being questioned. Answers have been given but those answers are so farfetched that some people are still scratching their heads.
During the debate one of the Opposition speakers, Saiku Andrews, spoke about the decision by the People’s Progressive Party government to get rid of the five Bs programme introduced by the David Granger Administration.
The five Bs were buses, boats and bicycles to aid in the transportation of school children. The other two Bs were breakfast and books.
The PPP government had made a lot of noise about the Granger administration scrapping what was called the Because We Care cash Grant. That was a mere cheque for$10,000 given to parents every year.
Andrews, using conservative figures for people in and around Georgetown, showed that parents somewhat removed from the schools would pay $200 per day for transportation to and from school. For five days that transformed into$1,000 per week.
With 39 weeks in a school year it meant that transportation cost for one child was $39,000. Simple Mathematics would show the cost of more than one child from that household was higher for the children going to school. In the Pomeroon the cost of getting to school was as much as $2,000 per day.
That was far in excess of the cash grant but the government members were quick to justify scrapping the programme introduced by David Granger.
Also during the debate, the Amerindian Affairs Minister sought to defend the fact that some Amerindians were still living in huts thatched with troolie leaves. She proudly proclaimed that such was the culture of the Amerindian people.
But one indigenous Member of Parliament highlighted that neither the Amerindian Affairs Minister nor her fellow Amerindians serving on the government benches lived in houses with troolie roofs. That Member of Parliament, Deon La Cruz, had said that troolie huts were a representation of the extent of poverty.
The Inter-American Development Bank has reported that 58 per cent of Guyanese live in poverty. Records would show that the Amerindians in the hinterland are more poverty stricken than any other race group in the country.
But this level of poverty was defended by the Minister.
There is a public officer responsible for the dissemination of information under the Right to Information Act. This individual, Charles Ramson, Snr, operates out of his home as the Commissioner of Information. The Commissioner has never submitted a single annual report as required by law.
Individuals have requested information from the Commissioner and have not received answers. In one instance Ramson, a former Justice of Appeal, refused to provide answers because he was not properly addressed.
His action attracted protests. There have even been legal challenges but to no avail. So this time around the government was asked to justify paying $40 million to Ramson. The Member of Parliament Gail Teixeira sought to justify this payment for non-performance.
When questioned about the budgetary allocation that is going to Ramson, she told Member of Parliament Dr Terrence Campbell, that Mr. Ramson is aware of the need to provide reports. She said that she was certain that he would.
However, it has been more than ten years since he should have presented the first report. All Ms. Teixeira would say is that the observation has been noted.
The most glaring action is the refusal by the government to address the high cost of living and the salary of public servants. Despite the massive increase in the budget, public servants have got nothing.
Another Member of Parliament, Dr David Hinds, in his budget presentation, noted the work put in by the public servants to help fashion the budget. He bemoaned the fact that there was nothing in that budget for them.Â
Despite the glaring inconsistency between the cost of living and the public servants’ pay the government sought to justify the situation by claiming the importance of focusing on infrastructure development.
The government is also justifying the failure of young people to go to school, choosing instead to let them roam the streets and to die violently.
Pass rates have declined in the schools and this too is being justified. Even worse is the training of teachers for these children. Political interference has seen poorly qualified teachers graduate from the Cyril Potter College of Education.
Member of Parliament Coretta McDonald spoke of a trainee teacher who failed to complete the course but who, because of political direction, graduated with a credit.
There is the gas to energy project that has cost almost twice what it should have cost and has taken almost twice as long to be completed. This too was justified until constant queries to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo caused him to say that he will field no more questions on the project.
The original site at Wales appears to have been abandoned despite nearly one billion dollars in expenditure. The delay and the increase in cost was justified.
Only the most corrupt will justify spending more than is justified on a project. Roads in Guyana cost more than roads in any other country but still more money is being allocated for road construction.
There is no justification for denying funds to the University of Guyana but instead, spending even more on a programme called GOAL–the Guyana Online Academy of Learning. And this is continuing.
At this stage Guyanese have come to the conclusion that anything can be justified. It brings back memories of the man who approached a friend to borrow a hammer. The friend said that he could not lend the hammer because his mother in law was dead.
