Budget is divorced from Guyana's reality -Granger

Leader of the Opposition, David Granger after sitting through the nearly 3 hour budget presentation in the National Assembly, said there is nothing in the budget that will improve the life of Guyanese.

A disappointed Granger told reporters that the budget is “basically a repair and maintenance budget”. He said it is not a development budget and will not “substantially affect the lives of the masses, particularly the poor people and I do not have faith that it will create the jobs for young people and I do not have any inkling that the measures could relieve poverty”.

Mr. Granger who is known for travelling extensively across the country especially to hinterland communities said the budget is divorced from the reality on the ground. “The Honorable Minister spoke about ICT training and laboratories but at the Paramakatoi Secondary School, the computers but there is no power so they can’t connect, it’s just an ornament”, Mr. Granger said.

He said in many of the interior locations, students are forced to fetch water every day because of the absence of a reliable water supply. The Opposition Leader said he does not know what the budget is all about because on the ground there is not much development or change.

Granger said while he supports rural enterprise development when he looks at what has been happening with the youth programmes for the Amerindians, it is not providing jobs and not creating employment. He said it appears as an “election gimmick”.

Commenting on the increase in the old age pension from $12,500 to $13, 125, Mr. Granger said the Opposition was hoping for the pension rate to be set to at least $15,000 per month. He said “giving people 5% more on their pension is not going to change their lives”.

“The country will be in the same position in March, 2015 as it is this year, it is not going to change poverty and will not provide the sort of development that we need. Not at the education level, not at the employment level and not at the economic level”.

The Opposition Leader said his party, the APNU will be carefully examining the budget to see the details of the allocation. He noted that there will be focus on the allocations to Guysuco and the Guyana Power and Light Company. He said the Opposition does not intend to throw “good money after bad”, adding that in the case of Guysuco there must be reform from the very top.

The other Opposition party, Alliance for Change boycotted the presentation of the National Budget, pointing out that there remains the need for real consultation when it comes to budget.