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FM
Former Member

“Anti-poor, anti-development” – Jagdeo says “this budget cannot start the good life”

 
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the media at a news conference after Finance Minister, Winston Jordan delivered his 2016 National Budget speech.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the media at a news conference after Finance Minister, Winston Jordan delivered his 2016 National Budget speech.

Mere minutes after Finance Minister Winston Jordan announced a GYD$230B Budget for 2016, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo says that the Budget is “anti-poor and anti-development.”

Jagdeo at a press conference shortly after Jordan concluded his budget speech declared that some Guyanese are still confused and might still be trying to figure out what really happened in the National Assembly.

He said that despite the predictions by the Finance Minister relative to stimulating growth and restoring confidence, it will not happen in the budget whose theme is “Stimulating Growth,Restoring Confidence: The Good Life Beckons.”

“It will never achieve the outcomes that are laid out here,” Jagdeo stated adding “the measures are not going to restore confidence nor are they going to stimulate growth so there is a huge disconnect.”

He said that for several of Guyana’s productive sectors there is nothing in the Budget.

“Nothing for construction nothing for manufacturing…very little for tourism…we have not seen any measure to stimulate production,” said Jagdeo.

He indicated that the pension was increased by a paltry sum and pensioners are now poorer under the APNU+AFC administration than they were under the People’s Progressive Party.

“We have seen no increases for wages in salaries and an increase in the threshold that will not make a difference for people’s lives so this budget has absolutely nothing for poor people…the good life can’t start with this budget. People would have retrogression in their lives,” the Opposition Leader indicated.

He said that the private sector in this country will lose further confidence in the economy and it will bring greater hardships for Guyanese.

In his address to the House, the Minister indicated that public servants would have to wait until relevant discussions with workers’ unions are complete before any decision is made on salary increases.

“Mr. Speaker, an announcement on salary increases for public servants, for 2016, has to await the conclusion of discussions with the relevant unions,” said Jordan.

He said that despite the obvious disappointment that the public servants will display, it should be clear that the government has their best interest in mind. Jordan is asking for the workers to give collective bargaining a chance to work.

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Quote "He indicated that the pension was increased by a paltry sum and pensioners are now poorer under the APNU+AFC administration than they were under the People’s Progressive Party.

“We have seen no increases for wages in salaries and an increase in the threshold that will not make a difference for people’s lives so this budget has absolutely nothing for poor people…the good life can’t start with this budget. People would have retrogression in their lives,” the Opposition Leader indicated.

FM

I see that Jagdeo is suggesting that the government makes the same mistake as his drugs warlord buddy Bouterse in Suriname. Bouterse saw how much money the country had, so he ordered spending on projects that are now costing more than is coming in from taxes and profits from government run companies. They have had to devalue their currency recently to stave off even more economic problems.
Jagdeo is suggesting the same kind of economic recklessness. Why did he not make those kind of decisions when he was president? That is easy to answer: he knew then that it would lead to economic problems.

 

Mr.T

Repackaged’ budget ‘blatantly anti-poor, anti-development’ – JagdeoJanuary 29, 2016 7:39 pm Category: latest news, Local News, Politics A+ /A-

 

By Kristen Macklingam

 Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, has rubbished the $230B budget the Government presented this afternoon as being “blatantly anti-poor and anti-development” and predicts it will “not make any difference” in the lives of a majority of Guyanese.

“So blatant… this budget is anti-development, anti-poor and will not achieve its outcome,” the former President declared at a news conference he hosted immediately after Finance Minister Winston Jordan presented his budget in the National Assembly.

Dr Jagdeo said the increase, for instance, which the APNU+AFC government has awarded pensioners this year cannot substitute for the loss of electricity and water subsidies which the coalition is responsible for taking away from them.

In fact, according to the former President, Guyanese are bound to be much confused about the budget and what it really has in store for them, which is nothing but “a lot of repackaging”.

Jagdeo was blunt in his declaration: “This year’s budget will not help any poor person in this country.”

Regardless of the fact that there is an increase, though small, in the income tax threshold, the amount which the administration has catered for will “not make any difference in anyone’s lives”, he said.

According to Dr Jagdeo, the Government has also failed to include increases in the wages and salaries of employees in the country and this absence in the budget for 2016 speaks volumes.

He further stated that with regards to Guyana’s productive sectors there is much left to be offered to the country and its citizens.

“In the rice sector we heard one sentence from the Minister of Finance; in the sugar industry he said they are putting in nine billion dollars in subsidy although the Prime Minister in New York had announced that the budget would have $12B and he (Minister of Finance) said it will be $9B…in mining there were no measures to assist the mining sector, not a single budgetary measure…,” the Opposition Leader pointed out.

According to him, the Finance Minister spoke about increased production this year and two new gold mines which “came into being” but argued that both of these mines were projects which were developed under the former PPP/C administration.

“So nothing for mining, nothing really for sugar, in fact he is giving less than what the (GuySuCo) Commission of  Inquiry (CoI) suggested and what the Prime Minister said the budget would have. Nothing for the rice industry, very little for any other sector of the economy, nothing for construction, nothing for manufacturing, very little for tourism…,” the former President and Moscow-trained Economist declared.

The media was told that the primary tool of the Finance Minister in ensuring that more visitors come to Guyana is the cleanup of the city.

Dr Jagdeo noted that his Party is yet to see any measure in the 2016 budget presented by this government that will stimulate production in the productive sector for the country.

He also opined that if he were to consider this year’s budget and the impact it would have on society while changing the lives of many in a positive way he would say “the good life cannot start with this budget” since persons are having a retrogression in their lives and their benefits.

Jagdeo also said that the budget contains “a lot of repackaging”.

He contended that although the Finance Minister mentioned developmental projects in the 2016 budget presentation for the East Coast Demerara roadway, another road project for the Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) to Vreed-en-Hoop West Coast Demerara (WCD) area and more, all of these initiatives and projects had commenced under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government.

According to the Opposition Leader, the APNU+AFC coalition government would have been “better off” had they held dialogue with the Opposition Party so that the former administration could have been able to apprise the current government of where the country “would be heading.”

FM

Regardless of the fact that there is an increase, though small, in the income tax threshold, the amount which the administration has catered for will “not make any difference in anyone’s lives”, he said.

FM

He contended that although the Finance Minister mentioned developmental projects in the 2016 budget presentation for the East Coast Demerara roadway, another road project for the Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) to Vreed-en-Hoop West Coast Demerara (WCD) area and more, all of these initiatives and projects had commenced under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government.

FM

Dr Jagdeo said the increase, for instance, which the APNU+AFC government has awarded pensioners this year cannot substitute for the loss of electricity and water subsidies which the coalition is responsible for taking away from them.

FM

The issue I have with Jagdeo and the former PPP ministers who now criticize is that when they were in power they were not able to accomplish what they preach now and they had ample time.  Maybe this is the way the system is supposed to work, fire them if they don't perform. However we have to be cognizant of the pnc history of rigging elections. We may be stuck with these new breed of crooks for the next 30 years. 

FM
Drugb posted:

The issue I have with Jagdeo and the former PPP ministers who now criticize is that when they were in power they were not able to accomplish what they preach now and they had ample time.  Maybe this is the way the system is supposed to work, fire them if they don't perform. However we have to be cognizant of the pnc history of rigging elections. We may be stuck with these new breed of crooks for the next 30 years. 

I doub't they can anchor themselves in gov't by rigging,this is different era,we will find out come 2020.

Django
Last edited by Django

Jagdeo tryin fo sound like he in power an' people really care what he rass gotta say,dat banna needs to be cut down a peg or two, isn't he aware the PPP LOST?

cain
Last edited by cain

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