APNU+AFC leaders absent from budget debate wrap-up; Finance Minister calls out double standards

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh wrapped up the 2025 National Budget on Thursday night but made a point of criticising the APNU+AFC parliamentary opposition for absenting themselves during contributions from the government side.

“You will note… that our benches are full when the Opposition is speaking, but we see the Opposition benches are empty when the Government benches are speaking.

“That in a simple thought captures and expresses the striking and stark difference between the PPP/C and the APNU+ AFC,” Dr. Singh said as he spoke during the debate at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Georgetown.

Just before the Finance Minister began his presentation and wrapped up the week-long debate, most opposition parliamentarians left. Only a few remained seated, a majority of whom were those new to the National Assembly.

Dr. Singh said it was disrespectful for the parliamentarians, but more so the seasoned ones to leave the House. He said their actions spotlighted a more worrying issue.

“You (the Opposition) come here and you speak about inclusivity and listening and consultations and all of these lofty and fancy sounding words, and you don’t even have the manners to stay here to listen to what the other side has to say.

“If you can’t respect the small rules, then small wonder that you are incapable of respecting the bigger things that matter,” he lamented.

Despite their absence, the Finance Minister spent much of his lengthy closing presentation responding to statements made by the opposition members during the debate. For him, much of what they said highlighted that they do not have a coherent development policy and that they cannot properly manage the fastly evolving country.

So, he posited that the APNU+ AFC parties in opposition will remain for “at least a generation.”