Rising cost of living: VP Jagdeo announces creation of 1000 part-time jobs for struggling families

– says 200-250 small businesses to receive grants

In light of the recent rise in the cost of living globally, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during his visit to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) announced that the Government will roll out several initiatives to assist those who are severely affected throughout the country.

He made this disclosure during a meeting with residents on Tuesday at the Anna Regina Multilateral School and highlighted that among Government’s response is to create at least 1000 temporary jobs within Government and other agencies across the country.
“You will see an ad for temporary employment for about 800 persons starting next week… This is a way to help families with the cost of living increase,” Jagdeo told the gathering.
He stated that the 2022 budget already has provisions to cater for the hiring and paying of these temporary employees. He noted that the initiative can only benefit one person per family.
“The jobs will be at hospitals and Government offices part-time…it’s not high-paying but offers three to four days’ work [a week] and will create additional sources of income.”
In addition, Jagdeo also announced that the Government had set aside monies to be distributed to 200-250 small businesses with the aim of expanding their businesses.
On this note, he told residents that applications will soon open for persons to apply for those grants. Further, he noted that the Government is looking to support investors in Region Two to open call centres and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) facilities. These facilities, he added, are earmarked for Anna Regina and Charity.
“One of the initiatives is to work with a number of people who want to establish call centres in the region,” the VP reiterated.
Only last week, President Dr Irfaan Ali reassured that his Government is aggressively consulting with stakeholders to come up with solutions that will ease this burden on citizens.
The Head of State, in response to calls for the excise tax rate on fuel imports to be lowered, reminded that the Government had already made such a reduction from 20 per cent to 10 per cent for the importation of gasoline and diesel.
“We’ve been continuously reducing the tax on fuel [importation]… So that has been continuously done even without anyone calling. [But] at some point there will be an assessment because the country still has to get revenue.”
“So, at some point, there will be an assessment as to what additional measures we can look at,” President Ali told <<<Guyana Times>>> when asked about further reducing the excise rates to offset global increases which have resulted in gasoline now retailing locally as high as $246 per litre.
During an interview with this newspaper earlier this week, two major Private Sector bodies – the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) – contended that a more impacting intervention is needed to help Guyanese through this time.
To this end, they called for the removal altogether of the excise taxes on fuel and income taxes – even if just temporarily – until the cost of living stabilises, as well as relief grants to citizens.
But again, President Ali reminded that nearly $5 billion was set aside in the 2022 budget towards various interventions aimed at easing the burden of the rising cost of living. He disclosed during the event that his Government is currently finalising an approach for a national consultation on the best options to address the “multi-faceted problem” caused by rising prices.
“We’ve already started that and the Government will be continuing, aggressively, discussions with a cross-section of Guyanese [and] communities so that we can come up with the best possible approach – listening to ideas, listening to some of the connected issues and then coming up with some policies,” the President added on the sidelines.
The Head of State pointed out that the global challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are now being exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis which has contributed to the world prices for fuel skyrocketing to US$127 per barrel as well as putting a dent in the global wheat supply by 40 per cent.
In fact, the National Milling Company of Guyana Inc (NAMILCO) last week announced a 15 per cent increase of its flour with immediate effect. The local company said that in addition to the price of wheat being 40 per cent higher than before, there have also been increases in the cost of packaging, additives and fuel, hence it can no longer sustain operations at the current flour price levels.
But according to President Ali, “It’s very easy for some sectors to say the price of gas is up so we shall not affect our revenue stream, we will take up our fares. But it’s far more complex for the Government because an increase in gas price and oil price does not only affect the vehicles on the road. It affects the input costs for every single thing. But a Government must manage in such an environment.”