Senior Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh has indicated that the Government through its agencies will be closely monitoring importers and businesses to ensure that the relief being offered to them trickles down to the ordinary man.

During an interview on the Jumpstart Morning Show, Dr. Ashni Singh said the benefits from the various reliefs being offered by the government ought to reach consumers, adding that a close eye is being kept on the market.

“This is something that we are monitoring very closely not just through the GRA but also through the Consumers Affairs Division of the Ministry of Tourism. We are monitoring developments in the market place to ensure that these benefits do trickle down because we are introducing these measures with the intention of ensuring final consumers benefit”, Dr. Singh said.

The Finance Minister said he is pleased with statements from the Private Sector groups which have underscored the importance of consumers benefiting from the reliefs being offered by the Government.

 Last week, the Guyana Revenue Authority in a statement warned importers about benefiting from the reliefs and not passing on the reductions in import charges to consumers.

The Finance Minister said the government will be introducing more long-term measures as it moves closer to next year’s budget and continues its development plans.

“There was quite a lot in both the 2020 and 2021 budgets to lay the foundation for longer-term economic growth and in particular longer-term economic growth that will see significant job creation which matters to people and budget 2022 will see more of this and a further rolling out of this agenda”, Dr. Singh explained.

In the past year, the Government has released a number of measures to assist citizens especially vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic which has created hardships for many.

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