Fiscal Fantasy

THE recent, muddled attempts by the PNCR to justify its trillion-dollar promises only served to entrench public skepticism, underlining a fiscal lack of responsibility coupled with historical amnesia.

Though the party maintains that such social programmes would cost “just over $600 billion annually,” failure to provide legitimate mechanisms for funding equates with the empty promises of times past-a disturbing sign for Guyanese in pursuit of stability amid rapid national development.

The PNCR’s resorting to a “Good Governance Dividend” to undergird cash grants is a recycled fallacy. This rebranded “Democratic Dividend” from its 2015 manifesto-a promise that disappeared after the election, epitomizes chronic disregard for accountability.

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh aptly labeled the opposition’s proposals as “whimsical and fanciful”, pointing out the absence of costed infrastructure plans for schools, hospitals, or roads.

The fact that the PNCR admitted that it still has to employ experts to do economic modeling only highlights how unserious its agenda is.

Equally disturbing is the quiet pivot of the PNCR to increased VAT and tax collections as a revenue source. This contradicts its promise in 2015 to cut taxes–a promise it promptly broke with more than 200 increases during its term.

Dr. Singh’s reminder of APNU/AFC draconian policies, from stifling economic growth to banning staple foods like flour, resonates loud as a clear warning. The Opposition’s current rhetoric on tax-and-spend policy bears the same tendency for repetition as the austerity that once “reduced this country to pauperism.”.

While the PNCR flails, the PPP/C government has passed eight consecutive budgets with no new taxes, investing in infrastructure, education, and social programs. Budget 2025 is no different and comes in line with Guyana’s 34% GDP growth in 2024 and its emergence as a regional economic leader.

Dr. Singh exudes confidence in the PPP/C’s electoral prospects, buoyed by public trust forged in the crucible of tangible results—a sharp contrast to the opposition’s reliance on hollow slogans.

The fact that the PNCR has not learned from its failures-or even acknowledged them-reveals a party unfit to steward Guyana’s transformative moment.

Without fiscal rigor and transparency, its proposals threaten to derail the momentum of the nation. As Dr. Singh insisted, the commitment of the PPP/C “to deliver until 2030 and beyond” presents a clear direction. Guyana cannot afford to gamble its future on a party that has yet to come to terms with its past.

Trust cannot be manufactured by press releases. The fiscal fantasy of the PNCR threatens to repeat a dark chapter in Guyana’s history, one which the PPP/C has worked so hard to close.

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