Budget ensures jobs secured for Guyanese – PM
in other areas…” he added.
Elaborating more on the benefits for Guyanese, Nagamootoo said that the budget provides some $3.5B in tax exemptions which would benefit persons with disabilities, remigrants, tourism promoters and drivers under measures set out in the budget.
Further, the budget ensures that programmes in the health, education, housing, water and security sectors are adequately funded, the Prime Minister said. He pointed out that agriculture will get a big boost to not only secure the nation’s food security but also the livelihoods of local farmers.
“This budget, like the previous budgets and like all other budgets ought to do, should find ways and means of helping our communities so that they become cleaner, healthier and that they become models of what we can do in Guyana for our people,” he said, even as he mentioned the allocations for local democratic councils.
He highlighted too the provisions for the Information and Communications Technology sector which he said would appeal to young people.
Commenting on the allocations for his Office, the Prime Minister said, “They recognise that the Office of the Prime Minister has a Cinderella budget, we don’t ask for a lot of money but we work properly, we work efficiently and we produce results at low cost and so we will continue with the support of this government, $908 million for all public information sector as well as the Office of the Prime Minister, we will continue the revolutionary policy of connecting with indigenous peoples and hinterland communities through television, radio and publications.”
“We are hoping in the New Year to have newspapers in Regions 1, 5 and 8 and to have a special edition for Georgetown; we are also sending inserts to newspapers in New York and Toronto to keep our Guyanese in the Diaspora, to keep them updated with developments in their homeland,” he added.