This year's budget
WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY
The national budget is due to be released later this month. What would you like to see included in it this year? The views of the man/woman-in-the-street follow: Padmini Bhagwandas - University of Guyana student: 'First of all I don't think that the budget would have anything good, that is taking into consideration the economic situation of the country, the exchange rate of the US dollar to the local currency and the inexperience of Finance Minister Saisnarine Kowlessar. I would like to see more allocations to ministries so that they can function properly and more benefits to workers in terms of incentives. I would also like to see the budget making provision for students employed in the public service being granted leave to pursue studies. I don't want any increase in rates and taxes. I am also expecting the tax threshold to go beyond $50,000. There should be more allocation of money to development of sports and I hope teachers would be recognised in terms of remuneration and benefits.' Hilton Franklin - private sector employee: 'I think substantial allocations should be made for programmes for the destitute and street children. Because there are so many mad people in the street, I think that provision should be made for renovating or rebuilding the psychiatric hospital in Berbice. There should be more funding for the health sector as well. The Georgetown Hospital is a modern facility and yet we do not provide certain services there and we must send our patients overseas. Government needs to take sanitation and the beautification of the city seriously, too, and so make funds available to the city for this purpose.' Balwant Bhagwandin - photographer: 'This year's budget must be named 'Reversing the Economy'. The budget should give the small man relief from the escalating cost of living. Consumer items are very high--gasolene, food, building materials, you name it. The little man cannot afford to build a house because the prices are way too high. Government is only trying to fool consumers by saying that it is keeping the price of fuel down by reducing consumption tax in this instance. However, prices in other services keep on going up and salaries are not upped when prices go up. The average take home pay of the public servant is between $13,000 to $17,000 a month. How can the public servant survive on this when food alone for a four-member family for a fortnight is $10,000? How many could afford the luxury of a photograph in such circumstances?' George Marshall - : 'Health and education should be given priority attention in the budget. Although funds have been spent on school buildings that is not enough. In any case I think that funds are not being spent carefully. We have a school being built at a cost of $132 million. What kind of school is that? Teachers like all other public servants need better remuneration. In the health sector we need to improve service. We still have to send patients overseas even though the Georgetown Hospital is said to have some of the more modern facilities in the Caribbean. I think training in specialised areas is needed and provision must be made for this. The income tax ceiling should be lifted to $30,000.' Rupesh Singh - videographer: 'The income tax threshold has to be raised higher--anything above $30,000, to give those in the lower and middle income bracket some relief. There should be more funding for the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security as well as the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture to carry out their programmes. There are definitely too many street families, drug addicts on the streets and victims of abuse not knowing where to go. These people need to be put into homes or places for total rehabilitation. Government also needs to invest heavily in public sector reform especially in the area of computer literacy or service provided by government will continue to hinder the country's development thrust.' Robin Singh - self-employed: 'We need to get the cost of living down and this should be the aim of the budget. We need more local and foreign investment but government must make investment packages for local and overseas-based Guyanese more attractive. We need to put local and foreign investors on a level playing field. Government needs to invest substantially in the tourism sector as this is the area which could contribute significantly to the country's economy. The budget must be geared to creating employment and reversing the steady decline of the economy. The budget must show how revenue will be generated. Guyanese are starved for entertainment and more funding should be made available for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. This country needs to produce more as well to balance our imports.' Genevieve Williams - housewife: 'I think that the cost of living for the small man like myself is too high. Trying to send children to school and ensuring that their lunch kits have food is a problem. Because of this I would say that consumption tax on all food items coming into Guyana should be removed completely. There should also be zero consumption tax on all building material as well. The budget should also deal with corruption. With the kinds of money international banks are putting into the country's infrastructure and elsewhere I would have thought that things would have been better off for the poor people. Half the money is stolen and there is not much to show that things are being done and people's lives are better. If the thieving does not stop the poor will get poorer.' Ann Spencer - self-employed: 'Government needs to address the issue of the high cost of living and to cushion inflation during the year. Prices go up but salaries do not go up when prices do and when the price of fuel goes up the price of almost every other commodity automatically rises. The National Insurance Scheme, too, has been ripping poor people off. I do not get any substantial benefit from NIS though we are saddled with paying. We need an ease from the NIS.' Feroz Shaw - private sector employee: 'I think government should do away with consumption tax on all fuel imports and then we will know where we stand when the price of fuel on the world market goes up. Imagine one day there is an announcement that the price goes up and drivers start hiking their prices by 100%. This morning for instance, I got onto a mini-bus taking me from Better Hope to Success on the East Coast Demerara and the conductor demanded $40. I usually pay $20.' Eppi Wong - public sector employee: 'The tax ceiling must go to at least $25,000. Working overtime on the salaries we earn is no incentive when the little we earn is taken away in taxes. The only thing that is good in terms of incentive is that vacation allowance is tax free. I would like this to continue. I think that the budget needs to continue to focus more on education and on teachers' remuneration in particular. Health, too, needs more funding especially in the services provided.'
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