Several new policy initiatives to be unveiled in 2014 Budget today!

“This year is going to be my biggest year budget… we’ve been careful over the years ….to meet public expenditure like infrastructure,” Minister Singh told the Government Information Agency.

Minister Singh said that the country and the world at large will have the opportunity to know how the economy performed over the past year. Government will have the opportunity to make projections as they relate to the economy for the coming year.

It is expected that the combined political Opposition will cut the budget again  this year, given the fact that no consultations were held with them in relation to the 2014 budget.

In this regard, Minister Singh said, “Any pronouncements of a particular budget whether it’s this year’s budget , whether it’s the national budget, will be cut without even having been seen and therefore without its merit being having assessed, I would say it’s gamesmanship and it’s most unfortunate that most of these statements have been made by Opposition spokespersons,  because I would say that Budget 2014 like the PPP/C budgets have much that is in the interest of the people of Guyana.”

He nevertheless expressed optimism that the Opposition will approach the budget presentations and perhaps the debate in a manner that reflects sincerity in examining merits of the budget because “ultimately the votes that each of us cast in the National Assembly should be driven by what should be good for Guyana,” he said.

He added, “We have no problem making that open to the de-briefing scrutiny and subjecting them to the most vigorous debate and we hope that the end of the process we would be able to persuade the Opposition to vote in favour of the national budget.”

Budget 2014, like every other budget is built around a menu of policies that aim to guard and protect and build on the country’s economic stability.