One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”
Those were the exact words of Greek Philosopher Plato who strongly felt that citizens who believed in demonstrating indifference and conservatism about issues affecting their country would eventually end up paying a very high price for their postures.
Plato, like many other great minds, held firmly to the view that in order to change the political dynamics of a country, one must be actively and integrally involved in the governance processes at every level.
In other words, one must hold the Government accountable and one must critique the Executive whenever there are missteps, mismanagement, poor economic and fiscal policy formulation and execution, and a general puerile approach in handling the public’s business.
He reasons that when the populace is alert, responsive and locked into the Government’s socio-economic agenda, it benefits more from the basket of goods and services offered and the concomitant changes that accompanies that basket.
Unfortunately, over the past year-and-a-half, there has been the development of a new trend and culture that sees sections of the public abdicating their responsibilities as far as holding the Government accountable is concerned.
The situation is made worst with a changing media landscape that sees the print and non-print media becoming more and more compliant and lesser aggressive in its pursuit of truth from public office bearers who are allowed to commit grave and unthinkable sins against the public.
These two developments, when looked at in a specific context, do not augur well for the forward movement of our country and the strengthening of our unique brand of democracy. In fact, they pose a direct threat to the advancement of our domestic politics.
This has no doubt worked to the benefit of the new A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change Government which continues to demonstrate unbelievably high levels of high-handedness, arrogance and indifference in the dispatch of their duties and the public’s business.
It is therefore not totally surprising that Finance Minister Winston Jordan saw nothing wrong with presenting such a confusing, unrealistic, unimaginative and anti-poor Budget to the National Assembly. The Minister must have known somehow that there would not be any prolonged backlash and that his Government’s Public Relations machinery would work effectively to paint what is one of the poorest thought-out budgets in the country’s post-independence history in a good light.
The Budget, as presented, has countless offensive measures and policy positions. If the Government is serious about delivering the “good life” to Guyanese, then these measures should be either revised or removed instantly. If such a path cannot be undertaken at this point then the entire budget should be withdrawn from the National Assembly as advised by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.
Juicy and politically correct rhetoric aside, Budget 2017 focuses heavily on increased taxation and appears to be focused on making the poor poorer and the rich richer. Its entire thrust is antibusiness and if passed into law could see the country’s growth and development sabotaged because of unrealistic and untested economic presumptions.
Stripped of its meagre increases for old age pensioners and sections of the working populace, Budget 2017 is void of any real plans and policies to tackle youth development, job creation, wealth distribution and increased crime. It is weak on welfare and social sector incentives to spur outcomes in these areas given the continued social problems being faced by single mothers, abused women and other minority groups.
What is even more appalling is that core traditional sectors that were improving and performing well under the PPP/C are now dying and dead under this new Government. It is shameful too that the Finance Minister could feel no pain in presenting a budget void of concrete proposals or measures to tackle the modernisation and effective operationalization of the country’s ailing sugar and rice industry despite the millions spent on CoIs.
It is void too of a comprehensive tax reform regime and any new infrastructural projects that were not already thought of or being pursued by the PPP.
The truth is Budget 2017 defied expectations and contained no Christmas treats or goodies for the struggling families and small businesses in this country. But what is clearer now is the fact that the Government does not have a clue about how to run this country and are incapable of reading the mood of many of the people who were instrumental in getting it into office.
Guyanese have nothing to celebrate over the coming weeks but much to prepare for in the New Year as the budgetary measures, as is in the budget, will result in anything but a “good life” for those who have no means of cushioning the impact of inflation, higher food prices, increased telecommunication charges, higher electricity and water bill which now attract VAT and other services.
The Budget is bitter and according to one protestor, “Wicked Winston” is responsible. After all author Milton Friedman said: “Only a Government can take perfectly good paper, cover it with perfectly good ink and make the combination worthless.”
