It was a clash of vision for the way forward through orderly development, in contrast to a most unfortunate display of myopic political rowdyism.

The business community, the workers in the public and private sectors, the villagers across the coastland, people in the hinterland areas and Guyanese in general would want to know how the record budget of $72.9 billion would enhance economic growth and improve living standard.

The PNC/R parliamentarians who are faithfully collecting their salaries and allowances month after month without participating in the sittings of Parliament, would have been expected to be seated and pay careful attention to the Finance Minister's presentation in preparation for their own participation in the debate to come.

Instead, some of them carried emotionalism and bitterness to such a level in the protest they organised, and which got out of hand, that the Speaker of Parliament, Ralph Ramkarran, felt compelled to denounce the "disgraceful and disrespectful" behaviour as he suspended the sitting for more than half an hour.

The police also were rebuked by the Speaker for dereliction of duty. It is to be expected that, given the national importance of the occasion and the prior arrangements that would have had to be put in place by the security forces, there would now be a prompt investigation into the lack of police control of what transpired at the Ocean View Convention Centre on Friday.

To his credit, the Finance Minister went ahead, unfazed, in presenting his budget, designed to be consistent with previously articulated fiscal and economic policies and with a clear focus on improving the general welfare of the Guyanese people.

That there would be other perspectives, even outside of the opposition circle, is to be expected in any democratic state where the flowering of ideas help to enhance better governance and democratic norms.

Expenditures
However, even a preliminary impartial assessment of the 2003 budget would establish its people's welfare focus.

Over $11 billion are to be spent on improving social services in areas of education, health, water and housing.

One third of the budget, that is $24 billion, has been allocated for infrastructure development with projects across the length and breadth of the country that will improve the quality of life as they provide jobs.

Security, that is so much on the minds of people in these days of criminal rampage, has been given a further boost with allocations of $7.2 billion that include proposals for strengthening the resources and capabilities of the police and army.

The Finance Minister also reaffirmed government's commitment to pursue multi-year negotiations for public sector workers wages and salaries, instead of the traditional annual process that has proven unsatisfactory.

Whatever may be the areas of disappointment for some - and no one likes taxes - the Finance Minister's budget does reflect the government's sensitivity to the challenges to be faced by Guyana as a direct consequence of the current war in the Middle East.

Also, the need to keep responding to social and economic problems that others seem bent on exploiting for narrow political objectives. It is to be hoped that the PNC/R would end their boycott of Parliament and participate in the budget debate.