— Finance Minister hammers APNU+AFC for selling ‘pipe dreams’

SENIOR Minister within the Office of the President, Dr. Ashni Singh, highlighted that the government’s competency and credibility will allow for the much-needed execution of Guyana’s development plans and projects listed in the landmark $552.9 billion 2022 National Budget.

The 2022 National Budget was presented to the National Assembly by Dr. Singh in January. Subsequently, each parliamentarian had the opportunity to make their contribution during the budget debates. These debates ended on Friday night, with the Senior Minister having the final word.

The Senior Minister spent his lengthy, impassioned presentation levelling scathing remarks at the APNU+AFC. Of particular note, he mounted heaps of criticisms on the unfilled promises and failed plans from the APNU+AFC coalition party during its five years in office.

“The APNU+AFC’s track record of selling pipe dreams is a long established one… When Mr. Roysdale Forde comes here and says ‘we will abolish income taxes’… the people of Guyana know better,” Dr. Singh said.

Among those failed promises, he highlighted, was the APNU+AFC failure to improve the standard of living for public servants and ordinary citizens. He also pointed out that a marginal, tiered increase for public servants had been during their five years while the old-age pension did not see significant increases.

He also noted that key plans to advance regional and hinterland development did not materialise either.

“They wreaked havoc on all 10 regions of the country in the five years they spent in office,” Dr. Singh lamented.

Since they were unable to keep these promises, the Senior Minister said that the Coalition has an underpinning flaw: a lack of credibility.

“You may ask, Sir, why I choose to highlight the fundamental problem that the APNU+AFC has with credibility?” he questioned.

Then, he quickly answered, “Because the APNU+AFC has a long history of selling pipe dreams”.

Cognisant of the opposition’s failure to keep its promises and execute much-needed developmental programmes, the Senior Minister posited: “At this point in Guyana’s history and in this modern age of information, in this era when Guyana is going through a rapid and dramatic transformation, what we need more than ever before is serious, credible, capable and competent government.”

Budget 2022 follows the theme: “Steadfast against all challenges, resolute in building our one Guyana.” During his presentation of the budget, Dr. Singh said Budget 2022 sets Guyana on the path to realising the “bright future” which the country has long awaited.

This is so because it launches some of the most transformative projects which are critical to resolving the bugbears and bottlenecks the nation has long faced, whether it is adequate and affordable electricity, a transport network that is responsive to both productive opportunities and changing patterns of urbanisation or improved medical services for Guyanese.

FAST AND LOOSE PRESENTATIONS
While Dr. Singh has made clear the budget’s impact in heralding in planned development, he lamented the many opposition parliamentarians’ failure to critically analyse and its merits. Instead, he bemoaned their “fast and loose” and “nonsensical” presentations that showed a flawed analysis of the budget.

“They missed the opportunity to actually contribute to a serious debate on Budget 2022. If they had any semblance of credibility, competence and integrity they would have arrived at the unavoidable conclusion that Budget 2022 includes many initiatives that are worthy of unanimous support,” Dr. Singh said emphatically.

And he listed some of those initiatives, the first being the $30,000 uniforms and education grant that will be given to every child in every household. He also spoke about the government’s massive housing development drive, the creation of medical facilities and initiatives to train many more people for jobs.

Importantly, he drew attention to the transformational gas-to-energy project in Region Three that is expected to facilitate the long-awaited “industrial revolution” in Guyana. Supporting that revolution, he noted, is the large allocations to create more roads, bridges and other infrastructural work. Notably, the largest allocation for a single sector has gone to infrastructure.

After listing these plans, the Senior Minister emphasised: “This budget outlines an agenda for the transformation of Guyana in a way that generations of Guyanese have been waiting for.”

While noting that the government intends to be responsive to the needs of all Guyanese, Dr. Singh said, “Our President is hard at work, our Vice-President is hard at work, our ministers are hard at work while they (Opposition members) are busy selling pipe dreams.”

For emphasis, he posited, “… this budget outlines a plan for the historic and unprecedented transformation of Guyana.”

And this transformation, he said, comes just 18 months into office and despite the many inherited problems, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government encountered on assumption of office.

“There are alot of inherited problems but I don’t think that anyone can question that Budget 2022 makes a significant contribution to transforming Guyana and improving lives,” Dr. Singh affirmed.

He also chastised the opposition for seeking to “frustrate development” to the detriment of Guyanese everywhere. He contended that Guyana was at a “critical turning point” that requires careful governance and not petty remarks or personal attacks.

He contended further that this careful and serious governance was being provided by members of the government.

“We will proceed with implementing this transformation budget, continuing to do as we always do – continuing to listen and engage closely with the people of Guyana, because we, Sir, are here to serve,” Dr. Singh emphasised.