By Oscar P. Clarke and Samantha Alleyne
Stabroek News
June 16, 2001

1. Taxes
No new taxes, fees, fines or fiscal imposts were announced in yesterday's budget.

2. Private Sector Development.
Government will be collaborating with the private sector to enhance the incentives regime. It is prepared to offer increased concessions to support investments in information technology, eco-tourism, garment manufacturing and agro processing.
It is also favourably disposed to granting liberal incentives to open up the intermediate savannahs.

3. Measures to protect workers' income
Government will continue to reward labour so as to keep incomes from being eroded by inflation. Provision has been made for (increased) wages, salaries and pensions in the budget.

4. Poverty Programmes
$500 million has been set aside for poverty programmes. This is in addition to $1.1 billion allocated under SIMAP, $188.4 million to be spent under the Poor Rural Communities Project and $100 million to be spent by the Basic Needs Trust Fund.

5. Subvention to NDCs and Municipalities
$254 million has been allocated to help local government bodies to execute their programmes. A substantial amount is budgeted for the City Council. A total of $753.6 million has been allocated under the Urban Development Programme to construct and rehabilitate infrastructure in six municipalities.

6. Housing and Squatter regulation.
A sum of $538 million has been budgeted to develop and upgrade existing housing schemes and to regularise squatter settlements in several areas across the country.