THE President Irfaan Ali-led government has got kudos (high marks) for its latest budget presentation and handling of the economy that has taken a hit from the pandemic. A NACTA conducted survey of “Budget 2021-22” presented by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has revealed an optimistic picture of the economy. The Finance Minister and Vice-President Jagdeo have pulled together a set of economic policies that are seen as being very good for the economy and better than any previous budgets presented by the coalition over the previous five years.
It is an expansionary budget that focuses on urban-rural infrastructure and not unexpectedly, many rejoice over it. The presentation of the budget comes in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic and its repercussions on the global economy, with the world facing the worst contraction since the depression of the 1930s. Respondents praise the government for not proposing new, direct taxes and for reducing or removing a lot of taxes and fees and for increasing welfare benefits to the less fortunate. This ‘spend-now’ budget has received a broad welcome from voters from both sides of the political divide. It is considered as a lifeline for an economy still battered by a partial lockdown, a continuing emergency COVID relief to the nation. They also feel it is a far better budget than any from the APNU+AFC coalition. Most people feel they should be better off from the budget. However, they complain that prices have not dropped in the shops in spite of lowered VAT. One other complaint is that respondents feel that the government should have lowered the income tax threshold so they can have more take-home money.

A majority of those polled said the Finance Minister has delivered a fair, good, or better-than- expected budget. The government gets kudos for direct intervention to deal with issues of poverty, inequality, and unemployment. But concerns were raised over inadequate money for state companies. Respondents praised the government for its handling of housing, infrastructural development, support for agriculture, social support and COVID. But respondents complain of joblessness and inadequate incomes that are not sufficient to meet rising expenses and lagging local development of communities. They also continue to express fear of crime. Parents complain that their children have not been receiving adequate education during the year-long pandemic without access to equipment (computer) or wifi to tap into long- distance learning. And the nation feels more needs to be done to address the recent surge of maternity and infant issues at hospitals and health clinics. The NACTA poll was conducted by Dr. Vishnu Bisram from late February through March with a sample size of 600 respondents reflecting the demographics of the population. When asked what is the most important issue facing the country, respondents expressed concern over unemployment, crime, the pandemic, infrastructure, health, blackouts and drugs, among others. They describe all these problems as important.
Overall, people praise the government for the budget, saying it puts more money in their pockets. They describe the budget as mature, transparent, people-centred, and growth- oriented as compared to earlier ones.

On being asked if they approve of the budget, 64 per cent said “yes” with 20 per cent saying “no” and 16 per cent not offering a response. Asked if the budget will produce a better life, 63 per cent said yes, with 21 per cent saying no and 16 per cent not sure. Some 66 per cent said this budget is better than the previous APNU+AFC budget; 19 per cent say it is ‘worse than’ and 15 per cent did not respond. Respondents from the bigger business community feel very optimistic and cheered the budget, while respondents from the small businesses were more reserved in their view of the budget. The big business persons gave a high rating of ‘A’ while small business gave it an average rating of ‘B’. Some concerns were raised by respondents over household expenses and inadequate incomes to meet them. The biggest fear is inflation (rising prices). The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed greatly to this worry. Some respondents feel there should be more economic support for COVID and another stimulus package like the one given out in November and December.
Respondents expressed displeasure and disquiet over some responses to the budget. They also do not endorse the opposition boycott of Parliament. Respondents feel the opposition should be present in Parliament to hold the government accountable.
Among those presenters who scored exceedingly high in budget presentations were: Anil Nandlall, Deodat Indar, Susan Rodrigues, Bishop Edghill, Charles Ramson, Zulfi Mustapha, Vickram Bharrat, Hugh Todd, Ganesh Mahipaul, and Sherrod Duncan.