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Former Member

2014 Budget debate…Sugar union

boss begs for GuySuCo lifeline

April 5, 2014 | By KNews | Filed Under News

Head of Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union, (GAWU) Komal Chand, has said that the Budget 2014 identifies some steps that should be taken into consideration, when addressing the challenges in the sugar sector. He emphasized the need for the appointment of a new Board of Directors at GUYSUCO.

Head of GAWU/ PPP/C MP, Komal Chand

On Thursday, the PPP/C Member of Parliament, called on his fellow MPs to remember the importance of the industry, despite its current struggles. “We cannot fail to recall that the industry remains an important and intrinsic component of not just our economy but of Guyana‘s social fabric. Its development and progress over the last three and a half centuries are largely responsible for thousand of slaves and indentured labourers being brought to our country. “For their descendants, the industry has become their economic lifeline … We should not downplay the fact that even at this time, the industry continues to serve our country in a multifaceted way.” Expressing optimism, Chand said that it is within the possibilities since such a feat has been done before. “Lately, we heard of suggestions that the industry should move away from sugar production and venture into other areas, such as ethanol and aquaculture. I share the concerns, but do not agree with the solutions advanced,” Chand said. According to the PPP/C MP, it is incumbent on members of the National Assembly to continue to actively support the industry. He noted, “The industry has directly provided, through the Sugar Levy, billions of dollars that was channelled into the Consolidated Fund. “We cannot refute its role in producing thousands of artisans from its Port Mourant Training Centre and the provision of land for housing, among others.” He underscored that with good guidance and leadership, sugar remains a viable venture. “For those who have a negative view of the industry’s prospects, it is unfortunate. It is still a viable venture.” In February, GAWU urged an immediate overhaul of the Board of Directors for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) while highlighting a number of issues affecting the industry, which employs thousands of its members. GAWU noted that a revamped GuySuCo board, improved management skill sets, motivation for harvesters and factory workers to return to the fields and ancillary projects, among other things, must all combine to bring the sugar industry back.

4/5/1411:06 AM

Former Member

Komal Chand is here on record telling the dumb and Corrupt PPP/C that "He emphasized the need for the appointment of a new Board of Directors at GUYSUCO"

Ofcourse his recommendations will fall on deaf ears.

4/5/1411:12 AM

Former Member

‘Guyana is sleepwalking into narco-statehood’ –

Opposition Leader

April 9, 2014 6:06 amCategory:

By Kurt Campbell

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Opposition Leader David Granger during his contribution to the National 2014 Budget debate in the National Assembly expressed the view that the narco – trafficking is the engine of growth in Guyana, that is responsible largely for other criminal activities including murders and armed robberies.

He told the House that the public security crisis which Guyana is plagued with will not correct itself and the government should take action as he questioned what provisions were included in the budget to make the hinterland safe from banditry and piracy.

Granger said it was the upsurge in violent crimes that was scaring away foreign investors and not the Opposition or local media as the government sometimes purports.

“Driving away the educated elites, undermining economic growth and impeding social development… the lucrative narcotrade has found armed gangs which use their wealth to buy political influence and suborned the security forces to protect their interest.”

The Opposition Leader argued that money launderers associated with traffickers also distort the domestic economy by pricing their goods and services below market rates which undermines legitimate businesses.

“Revelations in the international media of a Guyana and Italy cocaine conspiracy are ominous… confirms fears that Guyana is sleepwalking into narco statehood.”

In a broader context, Granger said the budget was planned and prepared without meaningful consultation and is a document that will provide a “bitter Guyana for all Guyanese.”

He said the budget was Anti-poor, anti-people, anti-progress and driven by politics and not by economics.

He teased the administration that it promises in poetry but perform in prose, adding that the minister had a good budget speech but argued that it does not cater adequately to the needs of Guyanese.

He said judging from the budget it reflects “the same old PPP with the same old presumptuousness, evasiveness and platitude,adding that the ruling party spends like a drunken sailor.”

Granger said there are aspects of the document that they don’t agree with and when put to them, the Opposition will exercise their constitutional right in disapproving.

4/9/146:43 AM

Former Member

This Budget is dangerously dividing

Guyana into two nations – Granger

April 9, 2014 | By KNews | Filed Under News

“It is not for workers, it is not for the young, it is not for the aged, it is anti-poor, anti-people and anti-progress, it is driven by politics, not economics,” Granger.

“The Budget, despite its promise – A better Guyana for all Guyanese – is more likely to degenerate into a bitter Guyana for most Guyanese…This Budget is dangerously dividing Guyana into two nations. It is creating an East-West divide that separates everything West of the Essequibo River from what lies to the East.” Those were the words of Leader of the Political Opposition, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, who was the final speaker at the western end of the chambers to make a presentation to the 2014 Budget debates.

Opposition Leader David Granger presents his arguments during the 2014 Budget Debates.

Granger in expanding on his charge that the Budget seeks to divide the nation used as examples the allocations for physical infrastructure. “The roads to be repaired are mainly in the East Bank, West Coast, East Coast… not in the rich gold and diamond mining areas. This Budget perpetuates the divergences, disparities and divisions which have hindered development in our country.” The Opposition Leader was adamant that the hinterland underdevelopment crisis adumbrated by APNU Members of Parliament, will not correct itself. Granger charged that the Potaro-Siparuni Region, the Barima-Waini and Cuyuni-Mazaruni Regions to the north and the Rupununi Region to the South, might be the most picturesque parts of the country, but they are the poorest. He told the House that the hinterland communities do not need baubles, beads, toys and trinkets. “The hinterland, like everywhere else, needs reliable services such as community-based solar and wind, water and electricity generation.” According to Granger, the national budget must provide for regional administrative centres for places like Bartica, Mahdia, Mabaruma and Lethem and called for them to be quickly upgraded to township status with their own mayors and town councils. “We must stop treating the hinterland as bush.”

FINANCIAL PLAN The Opposition leader in his presentation said that budget 2014 did nothing to inspire hope, and added that a bold budget was needed to move the country forward at a faster pace. “Every budget is a plan, an economic plan, a financial plan… It must be forward, not backward looking if it is to be of any value.” He was adamant that a budget must have a clear vision, “a projection of what needs to be done tomorrow to solve today’s problems and the resources to achieve those objectives…It is not a recapitulation of previous administrations.” The Minister said that what the Budget did do “is throw a few crumbs to schoolchildren and pensioners that might please some of the people some of the time.” According to Granger, the Budget continues the neglect of youth education, employment and enterprise. “The PPP spends like a drunken sailor on a lot of little projects like the President’s Youth Choice Initiative and the President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana, Youth Enterprise and Apprenticeship Programme; National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment – but it does not measure the impact of these schemes on careers and jobs for young graduates. What young people want are permanent institutions not ad hoc programmes.” The Budget, according to Granger, must include real measures that provide work for more young people. “The basic fact that all parties acknowledge about Budget 2014 is that there is little that it will, or can, change, for the mass of the young people…Young school leavers simply do not have the skills to equip many of them for the world of work…The economy simply is not providing employment opportunities for them,” said Granger.

POVERTY

The Opposition Leader conceded that Guyana, arguably, has never been wealthy, but the appearance of hordes of extremely poor, destitute, homeless persons and street children over the PPPC’s two decades is a man-made catastrophe. “Poverty is not an act of God…Poverty can be reduced and, perhaps, eventually eradicated, with good governance and sensible public policies.” The Opposition Leader said that Budget 2014 will be measured by its public impact and APNU reserves its right to disagree with provisions which are not in the national interest. He said that there is no way the country can move forward with such a budget that continues to disregard the needs of the most important factor in national development, the people. Granger was adamant that the budget must be amended if the people are to enjoy a good life. “APNU signals that it disagrees with certain measures which have been proposed…When the questions are put, we shall exercise our constitutional right to express an agreement or disagreement,” Granger asserted.

ANTI-POOR

The House will from today and over the course of the next seven working days, resolve into a Committee of Supply and scrutinize each estimate line by line and the voting will begin. The Opposition Leader in his presentation to the 2014 debates was adamant that Budget 2014 is not a budget for the poor. “It is not for workers, it is not for the young, it is not for the aged, it is anti-poor, anti-people and anti-progress, it is driven by politics, not economics,” argued Granger. He said that the 2014 Budget re-emphasises the need to establish, as early as possible, a parliamentary ‘Office of the Budget.’ “We need to build a permanent institution…We need to ensure that all sides of this National Assembly could comprehensively propose national measures needed for national development.” According to the Opposition Leader, with the presentation of the 2014 Budget it is clear that the Minister of Finance must be given the information and insights that are so desperately deficient in Main Street (Finance Ministry). Granger maintained that the budget does not provide the resources to transform the beautiful rhetoric of the Finance Minister, when he spoke, into reality.

4/9/146:56 PM

Former Member

Budget 2014 reduced by $37 odd billion; Gov’t cries onslaught:

April 17, 2014 8:03 am Category: latest news A+ / A-

By Kurt Campbell

[www.inewsguyana.com] – The National Assembly wrapped up the consideration of the estimates of the National 2014 Budget in the House on Wednesday, April 16 which saw a reduction of over $37B being imposed to the initial $220B fiscal plan.

This reduction resulted from several cuts made by the combined parliamentary opposition to funding for several projects and programmes they did not support. However, funding which was lumped with these contentious finances also suffered the same fate.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday night (April, 16) Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said he was most disappointed with the Opposition’s move to withhold funding for several agencies which would result in increased hardship for thousands of Guyanese.

He said he was particularly disappointed with the disapproval of funding for the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project.

Among the other agencies for which funding was disapproved is the Office of the President, National Communications Network (NCN), Government Information Agency (GINA), Specialty Hospital, upgrading of Regional and District Hospitals, Amerindian Development Fund, Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Civil Aviation and Hinterland Airstrips, Rights Commission, Student Loan Fund, Poverty Programme and the Basic Needs Trust Fund among others.

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh expressed his disappointment generally, stating that each cut has the potential to harm citizens and called for it to be condemned in the harshest possible way.

He was hopeful however, that the wound would heal, positing that it was the people of Guyana who will have to help heal the wound.

Meanwhile, Government Chief Whip Gail Teixeira described the Opposition’s actions as anti – national, anti – developmental and anti-people.

Turning her attention to the cut of over $5B to the Office of the President (OP), Teixeira said it was mean spirited, vicious and dangerous as she announced that all the President’s essential services were severely reduced.

She said the disapproval of the $1B Amerindian Development Fund and funding for hinterland airstrips was nothing short of an onslaught against the Amerindians.

The government explained that it will now have to rely on the legal opinion of the Attorney General, Court decisions and the constitution in deciding the way forward.

There was much hope from government ministers that the administration will recover and repair. In 2013 following similar cuts to the budget the government restored the money where it was insufficient.

4/17/1410:21 AM