Big promises without clear plans

as APNU engages small gathering at East Ruimveldt

MEMBERS of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Sunday evening promised a small gathering at East Ruimveldt that the party would deliver a “better life” to Guyanese, but failed to outline specifically how they intend to achieve this goal.

Leader of the Opposition,

Aubrey Norton, and other members were vocal about increasing disposable income, improving education and safeguarding the lives of Guyanese, but there was no mention of what specific policies would be instituted to deliver on such promises.

Adamant that the party wants to tackle the “monster of poverty,” one member, Elson Low, said: “[This is] not a party that will bluff you and not bring policies and ideas as to how to deal with things.”

Low, however, concluded his speech shortly after this without addressing those policies and ideas.

Norton also spoke generally about increasing public servants’ salaries and implementing anti-inflationary measures to counter any possible inflation, but failed to delve into what those measures could be and how im- ported inflation, for instance, would be addressed.

He also addressed the issue of taxation and made reference to the former APNU+AFC’s move to decrease value added tax (VAT) from 16 per cent to 14 per cent.

Existing information, however, shows that while this was done, the coalition added VAT to utilities and there were several other forms of direct taxation and increases in licensing fees to generate revenues.

The People’s Progressive

Party/Civic (PPP/C) government has since removed those taxes and implemented measures that increased the disposable income of Guyanese without the imposition of new taxes.

It was reported last month that some $50 billion will be placed in the pockets of citizens through increases in oldage pension, public assistance and adjustment of the income tax threshold, along with other cost-of-living measures that form part of the government’s $781.9 billion budget for 2023. Those measures are also supplemented by the increase in the education cash grant.

Released under the theme, “Improving lives today, building prosperity for tomorrow,” this year’s budget is the largest budget ever and despite being 41.4 per cent larger than Budget 2022, it is fully financed with no new taxes.

Aside from the increased income tax threshold, the first phase of salary adjustments announced last year by President, Dr Irfaan Ali will take effect from this month, benefitting over 5,000 healthcare workers and almost 9,000 members of the Disciplined Services, resulting in an additional $3 billion in disposable income in the hands of these workers. Provision for these are all made out in Budget 2023.

Another $10 billion has also been allocated to the part-time job programme which was started in 2022. The beneficiaries of this programme are encouraged to upskill themselves so they can eventually take up full-time employment as the labour market is confronted with a shortage of skills in certain areas.