Trotman, Indar clash over...
that his policies and commitment will result in prosperity.
“This Budget gives back to the private sector, gives back to citizens … all will be catered for under this budget,” he stressed.
Cost of Living
He reiterated that some measures that make this Budget pro poor include the reduction in the Cost of Living by the reversal of VAT on electricity and water.
He described the former measure as “a hardship placed on the Guyanese people by the APNU+AFC” before comparing this to an increase in disposable income by directly providing $25,000 per household through $4.5B in the Budget.
Indar stressed that more than half of the budget was spent from January 1, 2020 to August 2, 2020 but provided no actual figure. He went on to accuse Jordan of being incompetent for claiming that “the PPP/C administration has to spend $329.5 billion within the last quarter of the year”. Jordan never made such a statement.
The former minister has criticized the budget for “eroding the revenue base of the country, while enormously inflating the deficit” and advised opposition parliamentarians to demand a clear answer as to how much has been spent.
Indar however stressed that in 2014, the final year of the PPP/C’s administration, tax revenue totaled $135.2 billion but within five years, the APNU government’s tax revenues sky-rocketed by $91 billion an increase which came directly from the pockets of the citizens of Guyana.
“The sum-effect of policies of the APNU is that the citizens of Guyana were left poorer,” he maintained.
Also supporting the budget was Minister of
Labour Joseph Hamilton who hailed the return of his ministry. The portfolio of labour was a department within the Ministry of Social Protection under the APNU+AFC coalition.
According to Hamilton, the Ministry will focus on capacity building, human development and protection of workers’ rights.
Hamilton stressed that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Department will continue to expand its response.
“So far assistance was sought from the Ministry of Public Health and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to address the situation. The ILO shared posters, a workplace video and a range of guidance materials which addressed workplace policies for the COVID19 Virus, Safe and Healthy return to work, a Ten Step Tool and Teleworking to name a few,” he explained, adding that the information which was received was shared with the social partners, key stakeholders, employers and workers.
A checklist developed by the Department included areas, such as policy, planning, risk assessment, management, communication, prevention and mitigation.
For the period October – December 2020, the Department will continue to develop these measures.
Specifically staff vacancies within the OSH Department will be filled and existing staff will be trained to deliver training programmes to employers and workers in both the public and private sectors inclusive of the informal economy re: COVID-19 Protocols.
The technical capacity of the department to facilitate the use of Zoom, Microsoft and Google technology for the training of employers and workers in their respective workplaces will be improved and an all-terrain vehicle will be acquired to facilitate the inspection visits to workplaces in Georgetown and the hinterland communities.