AG debunks opposition’s criticisms of Budget 2023

─ says opposition visionless, seeking instant gratification

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh has presented the 2023 National Budget to the National Assembly; a budget that has been commended by private sector bodies, as well as other organisations.

However, the APNU+AFC opposition has criticised the budget, claiming that it will not benefit the ordinary Guyanese.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, says he will not allow the negative rhetoric of the opposition to continue.

Speaking during his weekly programme, ‘Issues in the News’, on Tuesday evening, the Attorney General highlighted many transformational projects in Budget 2023, that will create employment for all Guyanese.

Key in the budget is the $84.9 billion to modernise the health sector and $94.4 billion to improve the education sector. Some $54.5 billion has been earmarked to develop housing areas, $19.7 billion for drainage and irrigation structures to alleviate flooding, $2 billion for the school feeding programme, and $136.1 billion to enhance roads and bridges nationwide.

“What is wrong with this opposition? They want us to walk around and give every Guyanese US $1 million in their hand, so everybody must stop working and just eat and live. That’s what they want, instant gratification.

“What we are doing here is building a country, we are planning an economy and managing the economy sustainably for the long term and medium-term future for Guyana…but a visionless opposition can’t see that,” Minister Nandlall stated.

The government has also proposed in Budget 2023 to increase the ‘Because we Care’ cash grant from $25,000 to $35,000, an initiative that was discontinued by the APNU+AFC when it took office in 2015.

These funds, the AG said, will be injected into the economy benefitting every single Guyanese.
“It’s better these guys don’t speak rather than say what they’re saying and embarrass themselves and their supporters,” the Attorney General added.

Debates will begin on the transformational $781. 9 billion budget next week, followed by the consideration of the estimates in the Committee of Supply after which the National Assembly is expected to approve the budget.