–Minister Persaud says

SPARING no effort to refute the claims that Budget 2024 lacks balance, Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud, maintained that this year’s fiscal package is “jam-packed” with policies and projects for all Guyanese.

Hitting the ground running on the first day of budget debates, Minister Persaud responded firmly to claims from Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Ganesh Mahipaul.

“…Let me say plainly, this budget for 2024 is jam-packed with projects and policies geared towards improving the lives of ordinary Guyanese in the short term and, more importantly, the long term,” he said.

As he continued to respond to the Opposition, the minister said that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is focused on building household, community and national prosperity with this year’s fiscal plan.

While refuting Mahipaul’s statements that the budget is not for the ordinary man, Persaud remarked that it is pro-people, pro-development, pro-infrastructure, pro-business, pro-welfare and pro-poor.

“This budget is fiscally balanced and shows how we plan to manage our financial responsibility in a prudent manner,” Persaud said.

As the government continues to accelerate the pace of development in Guyana, the minister highlighted some of the Guyanese who have lauded the number of measures that are being set in place for all.

“Of course, even with oil resources, this PPP/C administration has not lost and will not lose sight of the goal and purpose which are to have better financial management of all resources, including oil and gas, to catapult Guyana’s development while making up time for lost dark ages under the APNU+AFC rule,” Persaud firmly stated.
Notwithstanding this, he did not conclude his presentation without going through the Opposition’s track record in office.

The minister remarked that forestry, education, gold, bauxite, tourism, health and finance, among other traditional sectors, were all “struggling.”

As he reflected on the brighter days under the Irfaan Ali-led administration, Persaud remarked: “In three years’ time, [the] PPP was healing the sectors, bringing them back to financial viability while making sound and well calculated investments in our people. Mr. Speaker, this is progress.”

Emphasising that the PPP/C Government does not make far-fetched promises, he said despite the Opposition’s fervent campaign pledges, they failed to deliver their “significant” increase in pension, among other measures.

In just three years, the current government has put measures in place to improve the lives of elders. One such measure is the old-age pension which will be increased to $36,000 when Budget 2024 is passed. It was $20,500 when government took office in 2020.

Adding to this, Persaud refreshed the Opposition’s memory of how they treated the different spheres of Guyana such as the youths.

While unapologetically calling them out for reducing the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport to a mere department, the minister said: “I’m going to remind this house of his [Opposition Leader] record on youth and children. The APNU+AFC downsized the youth and sports ministry into a department.

“A whole ministry of youth was not in existence during their tenure, very little investments, if any, were made in young people’s development, and hardly any importance was given to see them excel.”

Under the current government, Persaud said that there are a vast number of benefits for youths such as training opportunities.

Touching on his own ministry, he said that “local democracy and regional development [is] the cornerstone of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development” and this government was forced to rebuild democracy, which was “wrestled” away from municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) by the previous coalition administration.

He related: “We want to have transparency and accountability in all the municipalities and neighbourhood democratic councils. This government has been advancing to infrastructure development and enhancement across communities…. In 2024, $1 billion is budgeted to be transferred to LDO’s as subventions.”

Adding to this, he said that over $50 million is budgeted for the rehabilitation of Local Democratic Organs (LDOs) buildings in various communities.