–Minister Indar emphasises; says comparing APNU+AFC’s performance to that of the PPP/C is like comparing ‘chalk and cheese’

–references extensive allocations for capital works over the past three years compared to small sums allocated by coalition during 2015-2020

WITH significant allocations made in critical sectors across the country, the 2024 national budget was hailed as one that addresses all problems being faced in Guyana.

This was according to Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar during his presentation on day one of the Budget 2024 debates.

He said: “The 2024 budget that was read out by the Right Honourable Member, Dr. Ashni Singh is a budget for every strata of life in Guyana; addresses all of the problems we are facing.”

The minister said that this budget also pays careful attention to the building out of a country which is hailed as the fastest growing economy; persons coming in can see a country revving with economic activity.

In relation to building out the country, Indar said that just this year alone, the government has set aside some $73.2 billion to cater for miscellaneous roads all across the country. This, he said, is done as the government is one that cares for the people of the country.

“We in this government care for the communities; we care for the children who used to walk in the mud to go to school, we care for the farmers who had to fetch plantain on the back to come out of the dam. We care for them; that’s why we are building the country,” Indar said.

He related that the government, since entering office in 2020, has built over 4,000 roads across this country.
It is for this reason that he contended when one is to talk about the performance of the government and workload management as compared to the former APNU administration, it is “chalk and cheese”, as the two cannot be compared.

The minister highlighted that in 2015, the former administration had some $39.4 billion as the total capital expenditure for the entire country in their budget. This, he explained, is the sum spent to build schools, roads, bridges, and every other kind of infrastructure.

At that time, he said that the APNU administration had only put the sum of $544 million to build community roads in the country, which, in some cases, would only amount to some 16 roads being done.

He went on to say that it was the former administration that turned their faces away from the poor, vulnerable and ordinary people of the country, as they added several hardship measures, including taxes on critical things like fertilisers, herbicides, education and more.

“A lot of people are being helped by this government. We embrace people and put programmes in place for them; that is what this budget is delivering. And you check every line of this budget, and you will see it,” Indar contended.

Opposition Parliamentarian, Juretha Fernandes, however, criticised the government’s management of the economy, claiming that several sectors are underperforming and more could be done.

Indar, in response, said that Guyana currently has the tag and title of the fastest growing economy in the world.
“33 per cent GDP, the fastest growing economy in the world. That sounds like mismanagement to you? That sounds like somebody just trying to find fault in something good,” he said.

He went on to note that in multiple international and financial reports, Guyana has been pulled and put into sections by itself as the country has become an outlier with its current and projected growth rate.

“To have APNU Member of Parliament come here and say that the economy is managed badly, I don’t know what to call that,” he remarked.

Further, Minister Indar indicated that the government remains committed to building out a strong economy and country, and providing the necessary measures for the benefit of the people.