The Leader of Guyana’s main Parliamentary Opposition Aubrey Norton has labelled the Government’s proposed $1.146 Trillion 2024 Budget as one of deceit. He made this remark during his presentation to the debates earlier today in Georgetown.
“It scores high in the art of deceit. It sets out to deceive the people of Guyana. It seeks to make the average Guyanese believe there is something in it for them. There is nothing. It is presented as if there are successes in the non-oil sector there is little or none for those not benefitting directly from the oil and gas sector,” he told the House.
He added that the budget identifies many projects, when the “reality” is the government cannot complete many of these programmes. He accused the government of using the advances made in the oil and gas industry to create an illusion that all sectors are performing at optimum levels.
“Deceit again. It uses figures to paint a picture of progress when there is little or no progress apart from the oil sector and its attendant services. It uses jargons to deceive the people. It speaks in percentages to deceive the people. When you go to the actual figures, people are worse off under the PPP administration. It sets out to make people feel they are being empowered when they are not. This budget deceives. The government has no plan for this nation,” Norton said.
The legislator warned that if the economy is not managed in a prudent and careful manner, Guyana can easily become a country deeply afflicted by the resource curse.
TASK FORCE
Without referencing the trickle-down effects of the booming oil and gas sector, Norton said that those who are not directly involved in the industry continue to cling to their livelihoods.
Government needs to take action to stimulate growth and development in those other industries and to initiate development in new industries, he said, while urging for the establishment of a broad-based Task Force on New Industries and Services. This body, he added, will ascertain which industries and services should be developed. These developments, he advised, must be made by formulated policies and programmes based on proper scientific analysis.
He added that less than five years ago, it took 20 of 29 industries to generate 90% of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but it now takes eight industries.
“This means that 20 of our 29 public, private sector or private-sector oriented industries now account for 10% of the national pie. It is necessary that we work assiduously to ensure the non-oil sector is expanded to reduce the dependence on oil and ensure we develop a resilient and diversified economy that could protect and serve the interest of future generations,” he remarked.
