Dear Editor,
Generally, I don’t like to express my views publicly when it comes to anything political. However, I felt compelled to write to you today to publicly thank the Government of Guyana for Budget 2022. This budget not only means a lot to me personally, but also to hundreds of thousands of people throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. I say this confidently because I have taken note of the budget allocations that were announced, and I can see every single citizen benefiting in some way or the other from this budget.
Personally, I would like to express just what this budget means to me as an individual.
As someone with a family member who is suffering from kidney failure, I can’t put into words how strenuous it is to provide financially for the treatments needed. For those who may not be aware, hundreds of people across the country are suffering from kidney-related illnesses and are in need of dialysis treatments. What a lot of people do not realise is that, in many cases, treatments are needed at least two to three times per week. The cost for one session is approximately $12,000. So, taking that into consideration, that amounts to anywhere between $24,000 and $36,000 per week in dialysis treatment. As you can imagine, it is very hard to find $100,000 per month to ensure that your loved one survives.
Putting that into context, Budget 2022 provides an allocation of approximately $180M to provide assistance to every patient in need of dialysis across the country. This means that every dialysis patient could receive $600,000 annually. This is basically like saying that the Government is taking away half of the burden on those families with loved ones in need of dialysis treatments.
For many of you, it may seem like something small. But, for those of us experiencing it, words aren’t enough to express how grateful we are to the Government for providing such assistance. It is almost as saying that the allocation is life-changing.
In addition, the budget seeks to reduce the cost of fuel by reducing the excise tax on gasoline and diesel from 20% to 10%. This is another area where I will personally benefit, and I am sure it would be beneficial to every single vehicle driver. The budget also seeks to increase disposable income by increasing the Because We Care and School Uniform cash grants. This, again, will be taking a lot of pressure off the shoulders of parents with school-aged children, as the provision of $30,000 in total would mean $30,000 less will be coming out of the pockets of parents.
It is also important that I mention the budget would increase the income tax threshold to $75,000 monthly. This would assist a great deal, as individuals would be paying less taxes on their salaries every month.
These are just some of the benefits of this budget on my personal life. But a simple examination of all the other allocations would show that every citizen would benefit in some way or the other.
I thank the Government of Guyana for this budget, in particular the allocation for assistance to dialysis patients, and I look forward for what else is to come as we progress under the PPP/C Administration.
Sincerely,
Arnold Sanasie
