Defending $1.558 trillion budget, Ashni Singh says gov’t building a better Guyana

In the final presentation spanning more than three hours, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh defended this year’s $1.558 trillion national budget and emphasised that the Irfaan Ali-led administration is building a better Guyana.

“We are working hard, and we are building a modern Guyana.

“We are working every day to solve problems, that’s what responsible governments do. And we have been very clear that the Guyana that we have been building is not a Guyana where anybody will have to sit around waiting for a Pablo or a Pedro to come around and give them a small piece,” Dr Singh said after midnight, seemingly tireless.

The Finance Minister said these efforts are evident in the improvements in healthcare seen across the country, support for students and vulnerable groups through write-offs and cash grants, the development of much-needed infrastructure, and the continued expansion of the economy. However, he said there is more work to be done.

“We will not always get it right but we get the overwhelming majority of things right and we will continue to spend every single day, Mr. Speaker, for the next five years to ensure that the people of Guyana see steady and sustainable improvements in their lives and to ensure that their country doesn’t end up down an abysmal path,” Dr Singh posited.

And for him, the $1.558 trillion budget will help the government do just that.

Amid these assurances, the Finance Minister referenced the story of the infamous Pablo Escobar, urging Guyanese not to rally behind individuals capable of misleading them. Through the reference, Dr. Singh alluded to the controversy surrounding Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, who the United States has sanctioned, and is facing extradition.

Moving beyond allusion to Mohamed’s controversy, the Finance Minister urged Guyanese to reject efforts he said were aimed at drawing them into the Opposition Leader’s attempt to avoid persecution.

“We, sir, are at an extremely important juncture in our country’s history, and sir, just like in the case of Pablo, tragically, it is the most vulnerable who are being exploited in pursuit of a very narrow, personal effort, to save oneself,” Dr Singh told House Speaker Manzoor Nadir.