Dear Editor,
Now that the estimates in the Budget are being examined in the Parliament, we are once again seeing the nature of this PNC-led APNU/AFC Regime.
The estimates gave us a good indication of the regime’s priority, what is important for them.
As we have noted before, there are no significant developmental projects on stream. All the projects that they currently have were the ones started by the PPP/C Administration; even the funding was acquired by the PPP/C Administration.
In almost two years, the regime has not been able to put up a single new development project of any significance.
Yet the size of the spending has grown greatly. The interesting issue is – what is the money being spent on?
In the first place, there has been a huge increase in the amount for contract workers. This amounts to almost billion more in salaries alone.
This is an added burden on taxpayers, coming so close to the increase in ministers’ salaries by more than 50 per cent, plus hundreds of percentage increase in allowances.
The Ministry of the Presidency will spend a whopping 0 million on eleven contract employees, who were recently added to the staff.
Moreover, we see a huge amount allocated for non-productive activities.
Prestige seems to be of utmost importance for this regime.
The Ministry of the Presidency alone will spend a big amount to acquire a fleet of 142 new vehicles, five of which they claim will be for visiting Heads of State!
Of course, we want to treat our guests well but can we afford to mothball five expensive vehicles for visiting Heads of State? After all, just from memory, last year we had only one such visit.
We do not know as yet what would be the total size of the Government’s fleet of vehicles. However, what is clear is that it will be huge. If the Ministry of the Presidency alone has 142 vehicles, then the Government’s total will not be less than 1000 vehicles.
Millions, if not billions will go to ‘upgrading’ Government officials’ offices. It was announced that Minister Trotman is being allocated almost 0 million to furnish an office!
This whopping amount can build a small hotel!
Another area where a lot of resources would be utilised is in the area of procurement of goods and services.
In less than two years, we see the regime’s record. Two that stand out are the Bond that is costing our taxpayers some $14 million a month and the D’Urban Park project, whose total cost is still unknown. However, we know that it is in the area of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall has said that procurement of goods and services is being slowed when suppliers, not favoured by the regime win bids. The regime finds all kinds of excuses to stop the process and retender in an attempt to give the contracts to their friends.
As a result of that, shortages are being created. The most notable is regular supply of drugs for the health sector.
The huge growth in expenditure in a slowing and stagnating economy has to be paid for somehow. Resources have to be formed to keep up the high lifestyle of the bureaucrats.
Where is it coming from? Taxes of course.
The Guyanese people are now among the most taxed in the world.
We have already stated that the VAT is going to garner billions for the regime. The burden of the top-heavy bureaucracy is being carried by a smaller productive sector. The regime is destroying sugar, rice, forestry and small- and medium-scale mining.
Therefore, to pay for this, they have resorted to taxing the daylights out of our people.
This is a “tax and spending” Government, as the Americans would say.
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar
Former President
