-Finance Minister says; affirms Budget 2024 will serve as a vehicle to carry out plans

AS Guyanese itch in anticipation for Budget 2024, which will be revealed today, Senior Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, has given all the assurance that it will serve as the vehicle in bettering the lives of Guyanese.

As the face of the country changes for the better, the well-being of the citizens is at the focal point for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government.

During the Pre-Budget 2024 interview on Friday, the minister, though teasing at the massive fiscal plans in store for 2024, stated that the government is not a stranger to ensuring that development reaches every inch of Guyana. Therefore, this budget will be a continuation of that work.

“It has to be understood that we are building a new Guyana here. The face of the country is changing as we speak. Whether it’s the physical infrastructure, whether it is public infrastructure, or privately financed infrastructure…the face of our country is changing,” Minister Singh said.

He then went on to say: “Budget 2024 will continue that work and in building a new and more prosperous Guyana. We are building a Guyana in which every single Guyanese and their family will be better off, that in which their well-being will be improved.”

While there are some naysayers who use the narrow perspective of criticising the government for executing the construction of numerous infrastructural projects, the minister elaborated on how these projects from roads and bridges to hospitals will benefit everyone.

In the short term, these projects can aid in improving convenience, but in the long term, it creates an environment that is conducive to investments, according to him.

Peeling off the shallow layer of how people only analyse the short term benefits, the senior government official used the gas-to-energy project to put things into perspective.
As Guyana’s energy infrastructure continues to expand, this project stands on the pedestal of revolutionising the lives of all.

The project will help households and businesses enormously by cutting the present high costs of electricity and it will play an integral role in reducing the plague of blackouts in the country.

Aside from this, the minister shifted his attention to how the 12 regional hospitals that are currently under construction will serve as a great aid to citizens.

As the PPP/C administration remains steadfast on fostering quality healthcare, the government is also ensuring that these services reach all Guyanese, in the various regions.

According to Minister Singh, even though one can sit and say these hospitals serve no use to them, if that citizen or one of their relatives gets sick, the hospitals will be there to treat them and ensure that their well-being is in good shape.

He also briefly underscored that the government will continue to invest in social services, health and education to produce a better tomorrow for all Guyanese.

He said, “It may look like an investment in a road but it goes to the core of a well-being of the people. It may look like hospital and [you can say] it has nothing to do with you but it has everything to do with you.”

‘WE LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE’

Reflecting on the drastic development that Guyana has undergone since the PPP/C took office in August 2020, the minister stated that unlike the previous coalition administration, this government always stays committed to having a consultative approach to policy-making.

“Our tune is not different in government from when we were in opposition. The things that we said we will do in opposition are the things we said we will do when we get into government and when we got into government are the things that we implemented,” Dr Singh asserted.

He added, “Unlike the APNU+AFC, we don’t formulate policies in our conference rooms, or in our offices. We listen to people. We have a President who is constantly on the ground listening to people. We have a cabinet that is constantly on the ground listening to people.”

Deeming it a “hallmark” for this government, the Finance Minister said that policy continuity is something that they are proud of since they do not “hop and skip” from policy to policy or abandon them.

“The things that we implement in our budget, our successive budgets are things we promised in our manifesto and are the things that people voted [for]… and expected [us] to deliver.”

He also stated that the government is methodical in its approach to policy formation and always takes the time to analyse the global economy to frame the policy response accordingly.

“If you were to dissect everything we have said and everything we have done and every major policy document that we have issued, you will see that the consistent objective underline all that we have done is improving the well-being of all of the Guyanese,” he related.

Diversified growth and bettering citizens’ lives are at the top of the list of objectives that the PPP/C aims to produce.

Moreover, he stressed on the efforts being rolled out to not only ensure that the environment is one that can provide jobs for the people but also put money back into their pockets.

“In every sector of government operations, there’s a consistent approach and that consistent approach is always aimed at improving people’s lives,” Dr. Singh remarked.

He then went on to say: “So maintaining strong economic growth is an important policy objective for us, not because economic growth is an end by itself… but because economic growth can and does translate into economic well-being and the well-being of communities and households, etc…”

Pointing out the false hopes and the effort to attract votes, Dr Singh expounded on how the APNU+AFC administration did not deliver on any of their promises in their 2015 manifesto.
For instance, instead of creating more opportunities for Guyanese, in 2017, the former APNU+AFC Coalition Government announced the closure of several sugar estates across the country, leaving thousands of persons without jobs or a source of income. The move saw four sugar estates being closed and over 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs.

The Rose Hall Estate, prior to its closure, was “home” to some 2,500 sugar workers, but 1,181 of those were retrenched. The remaining workers from the Rose Hall Estate were transferred to Blairmont Estate over in West Coast Berbice and Albion Estate on the Corentyne.