…to continue course in elevating lives of all Guyanese – Dr Ashni Singh
Today Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, will present the eagerly-awaited Budget 2025 to the National Assembly.
PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo
This budget, which is the fifth to be presented by the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, follows last year’s national budget of $1.146 trillion since taking office in August 2020.
The presentation of Budget 2025 holds significant weight, as it reflects the Government’s ongoing commitment to fulfilling its promises made to the people of Guyana. According to the PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, the budget will be a continuation of the Party’s efforts to improve the lives of all Guyanese citizens.
“The budget will read and you will see that the budget sticks with what we promise the people of this country… the core issues, the continuation of improving people’s lives. They are not vote sweeteners,” he said.
The PPP General Secretary’s sentiments were in response to claims that the budget will be a sweetener for voters at the upcoming General and Regional Elections slated for later this year.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh
But according to Jagdeo, the PPP/C does not need any “sweetener” to attract votes, but will continue to deliver to the Guyanese people.
“The money will be in the Budget to continue our housing programme, because we promised them greater access to housing. And so, we will do that in an election year and we will do that in a year that is not election. From the first year we got into office, we started doing that so it would be a continuation.
“We have to look out for the people of this country – all the people of this country. Their desire for a better life must guide our policies and the spending, and that is what we’re doing. Look at where we’re putting the money, it is in health, education, housing, water, infrastructure [and] it’s in job creation and recreational facilities. Those are the areas that would change the lives of our people.”
Track record
Meanwhile, Dr Singh, the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, has expressed similar sentiments, noting that this year’s budget estimate will continue the track record of previous PPP budgets.
Dr Singh strongly asserted that, unlike the budgets passed under the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), this year’s budget will deliver tangible benefits directly to the citizens.
“If I were to go all the way back to the 1992 PNC government… People would await Budget Day with great fear and trepidation, not knowing which new punitive measure would be introduced and which benefit would be taken away.
“In striking contrast, budgets presented by successive People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Governments have all been budgets that have addressed in a direct and frontal way the needs of the people, concerns of the people, delivering services to the people, creating opportunities for people, laying the foundation for a more resilient and more prosperous country going forward and generally doing so in a framework that is not punitive to the Guyanese people,” he noted.
Since coming to power, the PPP/C Government has emphasised economic expansion, infrastructure development, and social initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of life across the nation. As the country’s economy continues to show promising growth, especially in sectors like oil and gas, agriculture, and infrastructure, all eyes are now on how the 2025 Budget will address both the short-term needs and long-term sustainability of the nation’s economy.
Last year, Guyana witnessed the passing of the country’s largest budget ever under the theme, “Staying the Course: Building Prosperity for All”.
Following the approval of the Finance Ministry budget after nearly two hours of scrutiny in the Committee of Supply, the Estimates of Expenditure for Financial Year 2024 was put on the floor of the National Assembly and subsequently approved.
This paved the way for the House to pass the Appropriations Bill 2024 – Bill No. 1 of 2024 after it was read three times. (G1)
