Dear Editor,
I FELT utterly bemused when I read an article in the Kaieteur News captioned, “Dead Meat Budget…Norton says.”

The first thing which flashed across my mind was Ramjattan’s “dead meat” prophecy which came to pass and then a question popped up in my mind: Is the PNC next in line?

It would seem that Norton has become fixated on that term since the no-confidence motion brought against him by the Florida Chapter of the PNC/R.

It would seem that Mr Norton and his crew were in hibernation when the PNC-led Coalition presented its Budget from 2015 to 2019. According to him, the 2023 Budget is “void of crucial measures to grow the economy outside of the oil and gas sector.”

This is a baffling statement since it would appear that the Opposition members simply had to condemn the budget on the basis of appealing to the emotions of the people and deceitfully misguiding them by regurgitating “high cost of living and poverty” as the bait.

Ramjattan is fixated on the imaginary “kickbacks” from the huge number of contracts which would be awarded.

Many measures were stated by the Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, which will alleviate poverty and indirectly increase the disposable income of the people.

These numerous measures to combat the high cost of living, which is a global phenomenon, were repeated again and again by all the Government Ministers and MPs in the Budget Debate so far, especially Ministers Deodat Indar and Priya Manickchand whilst the Opposition MPs contributions were vacuous and without any real substance, just cheap politicking.

Imagine what would have happened if the Coalition had their hands on the oil funds. During its tenure, the Coalition cared less about the cost of living and the livelihood of the poor Guyanese, as they greatly increased the various taxes year after year, closing down the sugar estates and placing over 7,000 workers on the breadline.

It was tax galore, as the backs of the poor people were broken by excessive taxation and ever increasing costs.

I could recall the great Sir Winston had once said that to try to tax a nation into prosperity is like standing in a bucket and try to lift it by the handle. This was exactly what the Coalition did.

The sugar industry is still reeling from the negative impact of this unconscionable closure which destroyed not only livelihoods but billions of dollars in fixed assets such a machinery and equipment and standing canes. The Coalition created the “black hole,” a term they have coined to describe GUYSUCO.

They should never argue about budgetary allocations to the entity. Many workers in other sectors were also dismissed because they were perceived to be supporters of the PPP.

I could recall that during the Coalition’s tenure, Mr. Lincoln Lewis, the TUC General Secretary in a Plain Talk Programme, told television host Christopher Ram (see chrisram.net) that the TUC had taken to the Minister (Jordan) a novel approach, one that eschewed the usual list of tax reductions and increases in the personal allowance, asking instead for measures to help both the employed and the unemployed by greater placing emphasis on public health and the environment.

In its wide ranging paper, the TUC asked that attention be paid to communities, the village economy, the co-operative movement, Sports, Social Dialogue, etc.

What wrong was committed in the 2023 budget, Mr Lewis? You have been given more than what you wanted and your Coalition Government failed miserably.

Citizen GHK Lall, in a letter to the press, called for job creation projects to ameliorate the high and troubling levels of unemployment, funds to deal with the mentally ill and the addicted, a new jail, and a push for ecotourism.

Are jobs not being created almost on a daily basis? Since the PPP/C took office in 2020, job creation has been a top priority. How many jobs did the Coalition create when in government?

They did the opposite. The 2023 budget ensures that all the ailments, both social and economic are dealt with condignly.

This government has had to deal with and is still dealing with the pandemic and floods, which have now become a regular feature and deserved to be applauded for dealing with the negative impacts of both.

The high cost of living and inflation is global and this government has been buffering these impacts to ensure that the standard of living is not eroded. What would have been the action of the Coalition apart from squandering the oil money?

We have seen them squandering and looting the taxpayers’ dollars as if there was no tomorrow. They were adept at giving less and taking more from Guyanese.

They had nothing to offer this nation when in government, and they have nothing to offer now as an opposition.

No doubt they will be permanently ensconced in their new office incessantly regurgitating marginaliation, racial discrimination, imaginary deprivations and the misguided utterances of corruption. The Guyanese people know better, the Coalition cannot fool all the people all the time.

Congratulations to the Finance Minister for preparing and presenting the 2023 budget, which has indeed set “the framework for Guyana’s continued growth and development, even amid a challenging global economic climate.”

Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf