The APNU+AFC Opposition has described Budget 2024 as one that is geared towards ensuring the rich becomes richer, while other citizens continue to face the full effects of the rise in the cost of living.
Minister responsible for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, unveiled a $1.146 trillion budget in the National Assembly yesterday, with billions of dollars earmarked for several government projects and initiatives.
In offering a reaction to the budget and its measures, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton said the budget should have contained much more resources that could benefit the citizens directly.
“You are not seeing much of the resources going to the people of Guyana. In this budget, a cursory look will show that under 10% is being spent on the people and and for people benefit. Therefore to talk anything about building prosperity for all, is out. This budget is fitting well in the hands of the PPP elite, family friends and favourites”, Norton said.
The budget caters for a number of social programmes and initiatives, including an increase of $3,000 in the old age pension and the public assistance and a $5,000 increase in the annual school grant for children.
The Education sector will see over $20 billion in allocations, but the Opposition Leader fumed at not enough being done to assist students and ensuring they get a quality education.
He said “they are talking about building schools, so many primary schools and so many secondary schools, but you are not paying the teachers for teaching those schools. So you are not going to improve the quality of education. What is going to happen is billions will be had, by certain PPP contractors. They will get rich and our people will continue to suffer”.
Mr. Norton said an increase in wages and salaries should have been announced during the budget presentation, rather than to have public servants wait again until the end of the year to learn of their 2024 salaries.
“This budget will not put resources in the hands of the people. Nothing in it, will help to eradicate poverty. What they have done is to give a little freck (small amount of money) and a little freck there, calling it grants, rather than effective programme that will improve the lives of citizens”.
The Leader of the Opposition also said the income tax threshhold should have been increased by much more, to assist more workers.
The National Budget debates open next Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where the National Assembly sits.
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