Georgetown : Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, during his presentation to wrap up the debate on the $220B, 2014 National budget, criticised comments made by the Leader of the Opposition, David Granger that the Government has failed to implement measures to reduce the Valued Added Tax (VAT.)
The Finance Minister said that the Opposition Leader and his party were maintaining their tradition of being irresponsible by giving citizens the impression that this unrealistic expectation can be delivered without causing grave financial burden to the country.
Granger who spoke before Minister Singh said that Guyana was bleeding because of failure on the part of the Government to put in measures in place such as laws and the reduction of VAT from 16 to 10 percent.
However, during his presentation Minister Singh said that such comment not only continues to show the Opposition’s recklessness, but their ruse in continuing to mislead the nation.
“As responsible leaders we have an obligation to not say to our people you must expect wages to be doubled next year, you must expect old age pension to be enough to live on, you must expect the treasury to provide for your every need,” the Minister said.
The Finance Minister noted that the state has its responsibility, but a responsible leader must also ensure that he does not create in the minds of his people the expectation that the state will solve all their problems.
“The truth is the citizen has a great individual responsibility for his own future, and his own responsibility, and any leader anywhere in the world who says to the public employee your wages should be doubled and that is what is reasonable, frankly speaking is creating an unreasonable expectation, creating misleading expectation,” he said.
The Minister pointed out that it is easy for the Opposition Leader to create this unrealistic expectation in the minds of people because he does not have the obligation to deliver on that unrealistic expectation.
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