–Deputy Speaker says; believes fiscal plan will benefit all Guyanese

DEPUTY Speaker and Opposition Member of the National Assembly, Dr Asha Kissoon, on Friday, voiced her support for the $1.146 trillion Budget 2024, noting that it will bring significant benefit to the people of the country.

She said that the budget is not merely an economic blueprint, but also a social contract and further stands as a testament to the commitment to fostering inclusive growth and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.

In singling out specific areas of development, she congratulated Ministers of Housing and Water for the work that they have done over the years, and expressed her enthusiasm about the work they will continue to do this year through the budgetary allocations.

Dr Kissoon also acknowledged the work of the Ministry of Agriculture, noting: “Guyana is now the breadbasket of the Caribbean; we as a people are proud, the work has started from the very beginning and it is being continued. Let us acknowledge that this is a plus for Guyana and for the people of Guyana.”

Turning her attention to measures in the national budget, she praised the increase of the income tax threshold from $85,000 to $100,000, which, she said, the Guyanese people are happy for as it will place more disposable income into their hands.

However, she added that while this brings relief, some suggested that there should be a bit more attention on the percentage of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax paid by workers in the country.

Concerning additional measures which will see pensioners benefitting from an increase in the funds they receive monthly, she said that this is good but indicated that there is room for improvement in this area as well.

The Deputy Speaker went on to add that in the area of education and scholarships, she was pleased to know that over the past three years, over 21,000 Guyanese were granted scholarships.
“This was a tremendous positive for Guyana; we must continue to foster academic growth; we must continue to support young people and everybody in the system who wants an education,” she said.

With some $4 billion set aside in this year’s budget to continue investments in scholarships through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) Dr Kissoon noted: “I sincerely love the fact that more is being invested in education, more is being done for young women, more is being done for the Guyanese people.”

Highlighting her medical background, Dr Kissoon said that the injection of some $129.8 billion into the health sector to build out new hospitals and improve screening in several areas among other things, is a tremendous benefit for the people of the country.

With this in mind, she said that one must not be ignorant of the fact that medical professionals are leaving the sector, and indicated that more must be done to retain staff.

The Deputy Speaker went on to add: “I would like to say that I am truly feeling positive about the 2024 budget. It is well put together, it is comprehensive, it does cover all the crucial sectors… there is room for improvement Mr Speaker, yes and together perfection is achievable.”

She further related that she cannot reject the 2024 budget as it is true that it benefits the Guyanese people.