When the 2023 national budget is presented later today, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said it will build on the foundation set by the government over the past two years and give effect to several major plans of the administration.

In a budget preview over the weekend, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said while economic empowerment will form a big part of the budget, the government’s social programme will take center stage, with investments in a number of key sectors.

“So the 2023 budget will provide the means to support that plan and that is seven new hospital, the rehabilitation of the Georgetown hospital, Linden, Bartica, four new diagnostic centers, hospitals with teleconferencing facilities in regions 1, 7,8 and 9, possibly rebuilding a new hospital in  New Amsterdam. So these were known, and this year’s budget will provide the means of achieving those,” the Vice President said.

The Vice President said the government has been working over the last two years to bring stability in many sectors of the country’s economy. He conceded that in some areas, there were challenges are beyond the government’s control. But he noted that many of the government’s plans and programmes are bearing fruit.

“The new budget will provide the means to achieve the gas-to- energy project, the transmission improvement in the country etc.; so it is not like they are many new themes, one thing we in the PPP believe in is that the only that we can achieve things is not jump around but to have a core set of ideas and then have policy consistency, so every year, you return to these and they lead to the solving of problems, the achieving of goals,” the Vice President said.

On the economic side, Mr. Jagdeo said more people are now employed and have more disposable income. He said the oil and gas sector has not only been good for the economy, but it has also been good for small businesses which are seeing demands for their products grow.

“The business environment has changed radically and that is why you have seen in every sector, greater levels of investment”, the Vice President observed.

Mr. Jagdeo said the budget will also ensure greater disposable income to vulnerable groups. The senior Minister responsible for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh will present the budget today.

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