The Opposition APNU+AFC has proposed a number of measures that it wants the Government to take on board to assist citizens with the rising cost of living.

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton said the government should examine a number of short-term proposals including salary increases, additional tax cuts, and more assistance for senior citizens, the disadvantaged, and children.

He said there should also be provisions for small-scale farmers and subsidized electricity rates for low-income households.

Mr. Norton said too many citizens are still feeling the full effects of the rise in the cost of living, and the government cannot ignore their plight.

“Guyanese deserve better. With oil wealth, we have increased our financial capacity to deliver the life people have expected for decades. With the right government and governance, Guyana can be transformed. At the moment, Guyanese see no salvation in the PPP’s allocation of a mere G$5 Billion, less than 1% of the 2022 budget, for cost-of-living relief to our people; poor planning and wasteful spending. Much of that money has already been embezzled and has bypassed many who are eligible”, Norton contended.

The Government has announced a number of measures that it hopes will cushion the effects of the rising cost of living.  Farmers, fisherfolk and miners have been targeted for various relief initiatives.

The Opposition Leader contends that the relief drive must be more widespread and cater to more citizens.

“But as inflation and cost of living have soared, so too have inequality and poverty. Not only has the buying power of the dollar diminished, but the stagnant wages in both the private and public sectors have further exacerbated living standards. In less than two years, the PPP government has pushed more and more Guyanese below the poverty line.  Sporadic one-off cash grants and low-paying temporary jobs will not change this reality. This is a mere band-aid and political pandering. These measures cannot result in a better quality of life for the people of Guyana”, Norton said.

For its part, the Government has said it will continue to examine various initiatives to assist citizens with the cost-of-living woes that are being experienced in several countries.

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