Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir has dismissed the APNU+AFC motion submitted in January, seeking to address the increased cost of living across Guyana.
In an invited comment, APNU+AFC Member of Parliament (MP) Shurwayne Holder told our publication that the motion asked that the Government provides a quarterly grant of $200,000 for every adult and was belatedly scheduled to be debated on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. However, the government, through the Speaker waited until yesterday Tuesday to dismiss the motion on some technical grounds, Holder explained.
On Thursday, March 24, 2022, News Source Guyana reported that the Opposition APNU+AFC coalition has submitted a motion to the National Assembly calling on the Government to make provisions for every Guyanese above the age of 18 to receive a cash grant of $200,000 to cushion the effects of the rising cost of living. However, the motion was initially dismissed by installed Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo who labeled it a “political gimmick.” He had argued that the proposal is unrealistic and lacks practicality.”
But the Ministry of Finance in a recent report disclosed that Guyana has nearly US $800 million in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) – the country’s oil wealth fund. Just under US$ 500 million would be required to cover the cost of the APNU+AFC economic relief package per year, noted one leading economist in Guyana.
Since its assumption of office in August of 2020, the PPP regime has failed to implement any proper economic stimulus package to cushion the rising cost of living being experienced by poor Guyanese citizens. The party’s failure to effectively contain the disastrous inflation rate and rising unemployment have resulted in major discontent among the Guyanese people.
It was APNU+AFC Shadow Finance Minister Juretha Fernandes who sounded the warning of higher inflation during her Budget 2022 presentation. She had told the Parliament that by the end of the 2022 Budget period, the economic policies of the PPP would have resulted in an 11% inflation rate- the highest in Guyana’s history.
More, In The Ring.
