– says cut a “vicious attack” on nation’s future
THE entire allocation of $450M earmarked for loans to students of the University of Guyana (UG) facing financial challenges was chopped from the 2014 Budget on Wednesday night by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) in a parliamentary vote.And yesterday, in a televised interview, President Donald Ramotar firmly concluded that the cut was a “vicious attack” on the nation’s future. He made it clear that monies to be invested in Guyana’s youths should not have attracted such a negative vote, since what is at stake is the long-term development of Guyana.

“There is a gulf, not a gap, between the words and deeds of the Opposition parties,” the President said as he referred to the 2011 campaign promises made by both political parties relative to provision of opportunities for education, employment and general advancement of young Guyanese.

The President said that detracting from the investment in securing the future of youths is an irresponsible act, which reflects clearly that the APNU and the AFC are putting “narrow political” agendas above the welfare of the Guyanese people.

ONSLAUGHT
After Wednesday night’s vote to reduce the $220B National Budget by $37.4B to $182.6B, Presidential Advisor on Governance, Ms Gail Teixeira, said the Opposition’s actions reflected an onslaught on the Guyanese people and on the current Administration’s developmental thrust.

She deemed the cut of $450M from student loans unconscionable, given the massive impact of such support. “It is the same old APNU and AFC…the same old actions,” the Presidential Advisor stressed.

Teixeira contended that the one conclusion that can be drawn from the Opposition’s “onslaught” on this programme, as well as the others that were cut, is that the APNU and AFC do not have the interest of the Guyanese people in focus.

“They are anti-national, anti-development and anti-progress,” she declared vehemently.
In addition to the UG student loans, the combined Opposition cut $22.2B from the Ministry of Finance’s Policy and Administration capital budget, under which the student loan allocation was listed. Among the other items affected from the Ministry of Finance’s cuts are: $18.5B for the LCDS initiatives; $725M for the Poverty Alleviation programme; $7M for the different rights commissions; $795M for the Basic Needs Trust Fund; and $4M for support to non-governmental organisations and the private sector.
By Vanessa Narine