Guyana Chronicle
June 17, 2001

INITIAL reactions on the $64.7b national budget for this year presented to the National Assembly Friday by Finance Minister, Mr. Saisnarine Kowlessar:

Mr. Manzoor Nadir, Tourism and Industry Minister: "I knew that this was going to be a very difficult period in which to craft the budget especially coming out of an electoral process that produced a lot of problems and conflicts and a budget that is going to be six months late.

The Finance Minister had a difficult task and I think (it is important) in terms of what he said in concluding his speech - that Guyanese must put aside their partisan differences and try and work towards developing this country so that those who want to live here can earn a decent living and enjoy a better quality of life.

So far, I am satisfied with the challenges that he has attempted to deal with. I have to examine it a bit more carefully."

Ms. Sheila Holder, WPA/GAP Member of Parliament: "The budget is just as I had expected it to be. The economy has been in decline.

Some of the sectors have not been performing very well. The disappointment is that there weren't bold attempts to get the economy going and attract investments.

I understand the objective of tax incentives to information technology centres and the others listed by the Finance Minister but I believe that we cannot move too far away from the fact that none of the objectives are going to come to pass unless we deal with the problems of the instability of the society..."

Mr. Ravi Dev, ROAR Member of Parliament: "The economy is flat and based on that I expected some kind of fillip, injection or initiative which would have given it a jump start which obviously it surely needs.

I didn't hear anything dramatic and on that point I find it as a little bit of a disappointment.

The other thing that stood out was that we recently had a very dramatic announcement on suicide so when the initiatives on heath were announced I thought that there would be something there on that `Suicide Secretariat' that the Minister of Health had promised.

But obviously it is a speech...so I am going to look at the details and then be in a better position to comment."

Mrs. Philomena Sahoye-Shury, PPP/C Member of Parliament:

"Given the circumstances, I think it was an excellent budget.

"If you look at the allocations in the various sectors that are so vital to the development of this country it is really, really fascinating and to realise that we have got poverty in Guyana.

To earmark so much money for their poverty alleviation programmes and to earmark so much money for housing and squatter settlements and water which is necessary to life..."

(PNC/R parliamentarians were not in Parliament for the budget presentation.)