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The final touches are now being made to Budget 2014, which is expected to be completed and presented for reading in the National Assembly by
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

Finance Minister,
Dr Ashni Singh
the end of March, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh has said.
Dr Singh told Guyana Times on Wednesday that the budget was well on stream, especially since the technical work began a few months back.
That process, he said, is almost near completion and as soon as it is completed, some fine-tuning will be done before this year’s budget is presented to the National Assembly.
Dr Singh explained that the process of policy formation and project identification is an ongoing one that had started since last year. His ministry, he said, has now refined certain strategies of the various sectors.
“It’s progressing well. We’ve had the benefit of excellent engagements with a number of stakeholder groups, including the PSC [Private Sector Commission]; the labour unions.
“Those meetings provided us an opportunity to get a sense of what their priorities are and we got to share with them our perspective on issues,” he added.
However, the minister said it was unfortunate that the opposition did not avail themselves of an open invitation from government.
The invitation remains open and the government is still willing to meet with the opposition at any time, Dr Singh said.
“I hope that is not the precursor of some adverse stance they intend to take in relation to the Budget 2014. The budget should really be evaluated on its merit and voted on the basis of its merit,” he said.
Optimist
Asked whether he is at all concerned about the opposition again cutting funding for various projects, Dr Singh said: “I remain eternally an optimist. So I’m hopeful that we would see smooth passage of the 2014 budget. I would like to think that we would secure unanimous support for the passage of the budget.”
Dr Singh added that he was hoping that the opposition will use its one-seat majority more wisely.
“I hope that the one-seat majority is not used by the opposition to display might, but instead that it is used responsible. And responsible means that the opposition would vote in favour of initiatives good for Guyana,” Dr Singh asserted.
The finance minister noted that the people will also hear the budget presentation and should be able to judge for themselves whether the budget is one of substance and will benefit them and the country.
Threats
However, the Alliance For Change (AFC) has already stated its position on Budget 2014. AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan had threatened that massive cuts will be inflicted to the budget when it is presented to the National Assembly.
Ramjattan told Guyana Times previously that despite a promise by Dr Singh that Budget 2014 would have been discussed with all parties, no discussion was held with his party or the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
However, Minister Singh said he had extended an invitation to the opposition to meet since July 2013, but had received no response.
Ramjattan, who did not indicate what he intends to cut, said that owing to what he called government’s “failure” to consult with the opposition, “a lot of questions” would be posed regarding allocations proposed by the government.
He said emphatically “there will be massive cuts”.
APNU Chairman, retired Brigadier David Granger told this publication previously that there has been a total breakdown in discussions between the coalition and the government.
As a result, he said, this year’s budget would be “deficient” and short of the input of the parliamentary opposition.
He noted that while there was some back and forth between the finance minister and APNU’s finance pointperson Carl Greenidge, the government never moved beyond that to ensure that both parties met to discuss the budget in greater detail.
In December 2011, Granger called for the establishment of a Tripartite Budget Committee, but he claimed that despite promises by the government, it has not materialised.
Concerns were also expressed over the procedure which allows for the judiciary and the Auditor General’s Office to be financed through a government ministry.
According to Granger, these offices should be financed independently. The Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), among other stakeholders, however, met with the government on budget.