Now that we’ve hopefully overcome the trauma of seeing some of our esteemed Parliamentary Representatives asleep – and even snoring- during Minister Singh’s sparkling Budget presentation – maybe we can start looking at what’s in store for us. Now – as one who knows REAL trauma having lived through (survived?) Burnham’s “taxing and banning” budgets – the first thing that struck your Eyewitness was that once again, there’d be no new increase in taxes!! Now in an age when it’s said the only things certain are “death and taxes”, ain’t that something?? Maybe we’ll soon we’ll have an announcement that because of the improved health care we’re gonna live forever!!
Now dear reader, did you know that all budgets have a structure based on the overall goals of a modern non-communist government? And one of those functions is to assist all those Guyanese most in need. The problem in Guyana, however, is that because of our ethnic politics, the Opposition keeps harping that “their people” aren’t being helped. But your Eyewitness fails to understand, say, if a program is designed to help all Guyanese -like with the $100,000 cash grant – how that can happen when everyone gotta register – and no one’s stopping “their supporters”. Your Eyewitness thinks it’s quite sick of the PNC to stir up trouble.
We’re told every newborn baby’s gonna get $100,000 this year. Now how can this benefit one set of people more than another – unless one set is making more babies than others!! But that’s an individual decision, innit? The thought when your Eyewitness heard this was the government should place the $100,000 in an interest-bearing bond that matures when the baby’s 18 – and ready for adult responsibilities!! He fears the parents might just blow the baby-grant on a “sport” to celebrate the baby’s coming!! The because-we-care student grant will be increased to $50,OOO.
There was an increase in the income-tax threshold where there will be no taxes on salaries up to $130,000 – so the “take-home” pay will be increased!! Parents will now be allowed to deduct $10,000 monthly as non-taxable for each child!! But such measures aren’t as exciting as when the money’s placed directly into the citizens’ hands!! Overall some $90Billion will directly or indirectly end up in each taxpayer’s pockets!! That’s a whole lotta spending power!!
But we gotta also begin to factor in what’s called “opportunity costs” where the Budget takes care of costs we otherwise would’ve had to bear if it weren’t for some measure or other. Like the free UG tuition and gargantuan expansion of health facilities that deliver FREE services.
If you wanna appreciate the money saved, just visit any private hospital for, say, a CT scan to determine damage to your head!!
…and absolving Garvey
Well…well…well, Joe Biden did what Barrak Obama, the first Black US president didn’t do – pardon Marcus Garvey for his old 1925 conviction on “mail fraud”. Garvey, of course, was practically the first Black Civil Rights activist – and was more grounded with the Black masses than say, his rival, the Harvard educated WEB DuBois.
Born in Jamaica, he ended up in the US via Panama around 1910 or so and plunged into activities intended to make the Black Man across the world the equal of others. While he was a great, spellbinding orator he put his money where his mouth was on his insistence that such equality would only come when Blacks were economically equal – through owning their own businesses. He opened up a welter of businesses but most notably the Black Star Line that was meant to operationalize his “Back to Africa” movement for US Blacks.
He was set up on the mail fraud while raising funds for line. His conviction’s now totally expunged!!
…cane culture
While he didn’t summon them to a 5:30 am meeeting, the Agri-Minister told the Guysuco Mgrs they had to dump their “Boss Boy” attitude towards sugar workers!! Is that like a “High Horse” attitude?
