PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar has charged that there is a level of vindictiveness, which must be recognised, in the combined Parliamentary Opposition’s move to cut important allocations from the 2013 National Budget. The Head of State made the charge while addressing hundreds of Guyanese at the University of Guyana (UG) Tain, Corentyne, Berbice Campus, last Sunday, for the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s first in a series of events to celebrate the 175th anniversary of East Indians arrival in this country.
Noting that there has been a massive reduction from the country’s Budget, on things that directly affect the ordinary people, he alluded to the reduced subsidy to Guyana Power & Light (GPL) and provision for the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, both of which would have contributed to better and more affordable electricity supply to Guyanese.
Mr. Ramotar also mentioned the Specialty Hospital allotment which was also entirely removed from the 2013 Budget, remarking that the services which the institution was intended to provide can only be obtained abroad, presently.
“What is sad about these cuts is that these projects will take more than one year before they can be completed. Last year, those same people agreed to the proposals, allowed us to go into contractual agreements and, this year, they are cutting the same projects,” he lamented.
Nevertheless, the President promised that the Government will work tirelessly and do everything, legally possible, to ensure that the budgetary reductions cuts are restored and that Guyanese benefit from what he described as a “working people’s budget” and one that touches the life of every single Guyanese.
In the same speech, he also acknowledged the contributions of East Indians to the development of Guyana. He said, from the time they came to Guyana’s shores, it was a struggle but they were at the centre of developments and the struggle in the country.

Enormous wealth
President Ramotar pointed out that East Indians came to Guyana to work on sugar plantations and, in the process, created enormous wealth. Unfortunately, he said, most of this wealth was shipped abroad and contributed to the development of huge fortunes in other places.
However, he admitted that much has changed since then and, today, the Government is working, relentlessly, to ensure that the wealth generated by the sugar industry goes towards the development of the country and its people.
The President also took the opportunity to remember the late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud, who was the founder of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha.
He said not only did he give the Sabha its motto /Action thy duty, reward not thy concern’, he also lived it.
Mr. Ramotar recalled that Persaud joined the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and was very instrumental in the fight for freedom of religion in Guyana.
“It was one of the big victories that we scored towards the whole process of freedom and democracy in our society,” he stated, urging those in attendance to unite and work together to build a strong Guyana.