Contemptuous courtesies of monotonous and obnoxious budget rhetoric

Dear Editor,
When discussing budgets, President Joe Biden often uses a quote that he attributes to his father: “Don’t tell me what you value; show me your budget and I’ll tell you what you value.”
The PPP/C Party has succeeded in initiating an innovative and imaginative trillion-dollar budget, one that includes something for “every stratum of life”; creating history in Guyana with the biggest budget Parliament has ever received. The huge figure of $1.146 trillion certainly speaks volumes, represents a high value, and is “worth it”.
Bedazzled by this figure, the Opposition party was taken aback, shocked with surprise, and had the rug jerked from under their feet. They recoiled, not having adequate time, but grasping and gasping in order to recollect, revamp and reinvent their responses.
Overnight, they had to burn the midnight oil so that they could reframe, restructure and retaliate with their refurbished, recycled and reprehensible rhetoric.
In a country celebrating its 75th Republic Day, and which Tesla CEO Elon Musk described as “absurd” for not having a permanent seat on UNSC, it is a practice in India that their President addresses Parliament prior to their Budget Presentation, followed by the Prime Minister’s speech. In the 2023 Budget speech, PM Modi said, “Amid the unstable global economic situation, India’s Budget will not only attempt to meet the hopes and aspirations of the common citizens, but the ray of hope being seen by the world will also glow brighter”.
Guyana’s President Ali said, “Indeed, budget 2024 is about staying the course while building national prosperity.” He said the majority of Guyana will be “rejoicing”, except some, who have the ability but not the “conscience” to acknowledge “what the Government is doing.”
The budget’s agricultural proposal enhances the President’s commitment to reducing food importation by 25% in 2025 for the entire region, not only Guyana. The ambitious budget is looked upon by a curious but envious Opposition, oblivious of the laborious time, effort and impetus of a sacrificing financial team headed by the Honorable Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, and supported by a concentrated and conscientious party of capable enablers.
To become a master, one has to humbly learn from a master, and so this budget has an existential effect to positively affect the faculty of education (among other areas) throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. The necessary infrastructure is being provided to groom students to achieve this desire.
In October 2022, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had to delay plans to plug Britain’s Budget black hole. He took on an economy facing recession, when the Bank of England was raising interest rates to tame inflation with low growth. The Government was cutting expenditure and cancelling tax cuts. PM Sunak said, “I have been honest. We will have to take difficult decisions to restore economic stability and confidence.”
The PPP/C party, cautious with numbers and gracious for all the windfalls, is meticulous in its preparation and rigorous in communicating to Parliament and the people on the pitfalls on what are not so obvious to those who light a candle to see what can be seen in the bright daylight. Guyana is upgrading to “world class” standard.
The notorious PNC Party, riotous for election rigging, callous for corruption, and pernicious for propaganda, among other contemptuous courtesies (mathematically bankrupt), has been querulous while being vociferous and monotonous in its obnoxious deliberations.
The PPP/C party’s budget production is guided by the principle of “facts speak for themselves, and figures do not lie.” The Opposition rely on a policy of “words are easy to pass as ‘wind’. …loose, lame and ludicrous airy words.”
The foreseen storm has quelled the conscience of vexatious members, who grabbed the opportunity to expound on frivolous, ridiculous and obnoxious presentations. Fearless for being careless, they rant and vent irresponsibly, spewing the language of absurdity, irrelevance and concoction freely and fervently.
Parliament is staged with drama and trauma as the Budget debate continues. Scenes of comedy coughed up with criticisms not constructive but construed with carefully crafted animosity will saturate the play in all the acts. Reduced by retaining reused verbatim, nothing is regenerated so as to redesign a refreshing revival.
With a budget of this magnitude, the logistical articulation pellucidly amplifies the Government’s genuine commitment to investment, because they care for the people and the community. President Ali clarified and cautioned, “We are not going to pursue policies that do not address the holistic needs of our country and community.” The call for improved services will materialise when there is invested funds in the respective departments, justifiably and equitably disbursed and distributed.
The investment of 33 years of PNC mismanagement only realized a bankrupt nation, a raped treasury, corruption, rigged elections, and a breakdown in law and order. This led to the international community, especially the embarrassed leaders of all Caricom nations, indisputably disassociating themselves from the PNC party and condemning their poor policies. No wonder the US Government sanctioned them!
The Honorable Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, forewarned the lame and limping Opposition that the PPP/C Party “not only sets targets, but try to exceed them.” With the Opposition’s back against the wall, they are forced to assail an attack simply for the sake of arguing and opposing. They disagree with the budget because they have to defy the Government and deny any sign of approval.
Disputing every single piece of proposal is their form of protest to prevent the misguided from thinking that they cannot resist. After all, they do have to “sing for their supper,” even if it’s with a sour note, out of tune, and in harmony with the cacophony of a broken melody scripted with disrepute and discord.
If you cannot manage a “piggy bank,” will you be able to manage the “oil money?”

Yours respectfully,
Jai Lall