DIFFERENT views were expressed on Sunday when the Guyana Chronicle solicited comments from the man in the street on this year’s National Budget.

Vendor Joseph Freeman said: “I think it’s best to raise salaries. They ain’t talking bout salaries; they just talking about raising other things; they got to talk about the salaries. The salaries need uplifting. Everybody’s salaries need uplifting. Things getting much more worse. We don’t know what the Government will decide to do.”

Public Sector worker Ganesh Persaud: “The focus on the lower class of people, especially single parents, widows, pensioners and people working for small amount of money, is good.
“The other main thing is public transportation, because, right now, certain times of the day they does exploit you when it comes to catching bus for going to and from work. They does really exploit you. That’s one of my main issues when it comes to the Budget. They really should look into the public transportation crisis. Sometimes you get off work at 3pm and get home at 9pm. When you leave home at 7 o’clock in the morning, the bus drivers watching faces and picking up people and you got to wait hours, at times, to get a bus and people reaching to work late and all of that putting pressure on normal citizens who takes the bus. I would like to see the Government re-implement the big bus system. It has got to be easier for normal class people, so that these private minibuses wouldn’t exploit people.”
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Balanced Budget

Photographer Ivan Bentil: “As to the outcome of the Budget, what I would like to see is that it must be reflective of whatever citizens are looking for. It must not be a biased budget but it must be a balanced budget. A budget that reflects the wishes of the people.”
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Self-employed Karen Benjamin Jeffers: “I would like for the Budget to be for the public servants because they are the people standing up and I don’t think they are being properly paid because the salary alone is

very low and I think they should look into that first, where the public servants have to pay the most tax and I think they should step up on the Private Sector. The people with the large companies, increase taxation so as to facilitate public servants.”

Prison Officer Barbara Davi: “Whoever got to make the decision on the Budget, got to make the final analysis. It should support us, the poorer ones and Government workers.
“It’s a lot of stress we does go through and every day you working and risking your life at the prison. So, I do hope we will benefit in the end.”
“We the junior ranks cause all the major ones to benefit. The income tax I pay a month, when that is taken out, I barely end up with anything and the rent has to be paid, bills and transportation. So whatever they do, I hope it benefits us.”
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Recreational facilities

Musician Shaquille McKenzie: “They need to build more stadiums and more recreational facilities. And fit in a studio. Because there are a lot of musicians out there that can’t do anything because of lack of facilities. Place emphasis on entertainment because everybody wants to see the local artistes go forward and it doesn’t make sense keep bringing people. We need to keep people in the country who have the talent. So we can benefit.

“Everything else is good with the country.”

Salesperson Andrea George: “If they are raising things on the Budget, they need to raise the salaries because no need they raise the prices and don’t raise the salaries because poor people going to punish more. And I have children, too. It is going to be hard on them. I want to see wages increase.”
Vendor Judy Deonarine: “The major issues of all are that they should reduce tax and increase public servants’ pay because five percent in these times is very hard.
“I am self-employed and it is very hard, because we depend on public servants for us to get pay. And the Budget cut would be too drastic. It is too drastic what the Opposition is doing. They have to come to some agreement.”

UG student Berachah Garette: “The Budget has to focus on the social aspects, particularly the education sector as it relates to me.

“The establishment of a Legal Education Certificate in Guyana should be manifested through the Government’s commitment in fostering hope for a better educational system.
“The education system should be one which encompasses and facilitates foreign students which would, in turn, enhance the human resources since this is a vital element in the development of any country.”