Written By Vanessa Narine, Source

FINANCE Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, commenting on proceedings of the National Assembly, made it clear that the ‘political gangsterism’ that was a feature in the 2013 sittings will not bode well for 2014.He said: “We have witnessed attempts by the Opposition to use this dispensation to extract political rent and inflict wounds, even if it meant inflicting damage on Guyana’s domestic economy and international credibility.”

Dr Singh said the Parliamentary experiences of the last two years have vindicated the caution he urged in relations at the beginning of the Tenth Parliament, in 2012.

“In my first budget speech of the Tenth Parliament, I made the point that much was being said of the new dispensation, and I exhorted that, as a nation and Parliament, we ought not to be naÏve in forming expectations of the new Parliament. And (I said that) while there were some who heralded the new dispensation for the opportunities it presented, we should be mindful of the challenges,” Dr Singh said.

The minister added that the display of “raw politics” was discouraging, as the National Assembly has been reduced to a place where political plays for power outweigh the national interest.

Dr Singh said: “The construction of a specialty hospital is a public good for all of our people, and cannot be excised from the national budget by a Parliamentarian who is responsible and who is concerned about the well-being of our people. I give this only as an example, but they’re many other examples.”

This and other “glaring incidents” of the Opposition parties’ Parliamentary disposition reflect a lack of commitment to development of Guyana and a lack of concern for the well-being of the Guyanese people, according to Dr Singh. He said: “With the benefit of two years of experience in the Tenth Parliament now, we have witnessed cutting of the budget — cutting of successive annual budgets; we have witnessed attempts to withhold approval of legitimate funding needs for developmental projects and initiatives; we have witnessed attempts by the opposition to frustrate and stymie major developmental projects.”

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Despite the challenges, the Finance Minister made it clear that the current Administration will not be daunted.

He said: “The last two years have not been without challenge, the least of which is the current political environment.

“The current Administration has had to contend with the unprecedented situation in the country where the Executive does not have a majority in the legislature, and this political reality has proven to be a test to our constitutional legislative framework, and a stern test to the work of the legislature and how that affects the work of the Executive…. We have not been daunted by this reality.”

Dr Singh stressed that Government is “unprepared” to let the political environment slow efforts to grow and develop Guyana. He said: “Our experience has shown that the sum of the actions taken by the Opposition in the Parliament has not lent itself to growth and development, and can even be described as inimical to development.

“We remain committed to working with stakeholders. We remain committed to the preservation and further enhancement of the environment that is so critical to growth and development, and to improving the lives of people in Guyana.

“Notwithstanding the political environment, we will not be swerved in our commitment.”

Dr Singh also lauded the maturity of the private sector and other major stakeholders in making their positions clear. “We do not enjoy the luxury to disregard the views of the entire private sector…no Parliamentarian should enjoy this luxury,” he stressed.

The Finance Minister acknowledged that moving into 2014 will not be without challenges. Parliament is expected to next meet on January 16.