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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, September 26, 2020
House approves $329.5B budget By Navendra Seoraj A five-month electoral impasse and the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have taken a toll on the local economy, but the new government will be looking to restore stability and lay the foundation for 2021 with its $329.5B budget which was passed unamended by the National Assembly on Friday evening. Although Friday evening culminated quietly, the passage of Budget 2020 came after two weeks of debates, scrutiny and passionate exchanges from both sides of the House. The size of Budget 2020 is $329.5 billion, which is 9.6 per cent, or $28.8 billion, above that of 2019. The passage of this budget clears the way for the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to offer much-needed relief to Guyanese amidst the global pandemic and to simultaneously start the process of “rejuvenating” the productive sectors. “The year 2020 has been a complicated and difficult one for us as Guyanese. We
have gone through testing times as a nation, given our own internal struggles, of living together as one people; but, it is clear that we have one destiny. As Guyanese, we must all make every effort to heal and to move forward together, as we consolidate our national position in order to achieve our development trajectory ahead,” said Minister Edghill while presenting the budget to the House on September 9, 2020. The pandemic presents an additional crisis that will continue to affect all spheres of life; and, as the country adapts to this new normal, Minister Edghill said one lesson rings true: “how we act as individuals will ultimately impact the lives of those around us, whether we apply that to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, or to our engagement as mutual respecting citizens of our beloved country.” The minister believes that budget 2020 offers hope and relief in its measures, and programmes and projects. It reflects government’s fierce dedication to ensuring a better quality of life for all Guyanese. “Our Government will
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill
continue to fiercely defend our cherished democracy as we have recently done, and we will always champion upholding the rule of law. “We will continue, as always, to secure working partnerships with our private sector – from the fruit vendors to the rum producers, farmers to fishers, miners to millers, air service providers to minibus drivers. We will work within the public sector with all diligent public
servants, including soldiers, police, educators, and health workers – especially those who are on the frontline – to ensure effective delivery of public services to all Guyanese, particularly at this crucial time,” said Minister Edghill. PLAN FOR PROSPERITY Government’s “plan for prosperity,” despite the challenges, has taken root in
Over 100 witnesses to testify against Mingo THE State is expected to call over 100 witnesses in the case against embattled Region Four Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo, regarding the electoral fraud which was reportedly committed during the March 2 General and Regional Elections. Mingo, 69, of Calcutta, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, on Friday, September 25, 2020, made his second appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on four charges of ‘Misconduct in Public Office’. During Friday’s hearing, State prosecutor Teriq Mohammed made a partial disclosure of statements. He also made an application for a summary disposal of the case, which would allow Mingo to plead to the charges. This was however met with strong objections from Mingo’s attorney, Nigel Hughes, who questioned whether the Police intended to bring additional charges against his client. In response, the State Prosecutor disclosed to the court that since the case file is still incomplete, he wasn’t in a position to respond to the lawyer’s question. Mohammed informed that so far he has over 100 witnesses who are slated to testify.
The Chief Magistrate set December 11 as the date for full disclosure. Mingo is currently on $600,000 bail for the four indictable charges. The first two charges against him allege that, on March 5, 2020, at High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, while being a public officer, he wilfully misconducted himself by declaring a result for District Four, without ascertaining the total votes cast in favour of each List in the said District in the Regional and General Elections. The case against him is that he failed to add up the votes recorded in favour of each List in accordance with the Statements of Poll, which, in the eyes of the Law, amounts to a breach of the public’s trust, without any reasonable excuse or justification. The other two charges allege that he committed the same offences on March 13, 2020, at the GECOM High and Cowan Streets, Kingston Head Office, when he wilfully misconducted himself by declaring a result for District Four in the said March 2 General and Regional Elections. Earlier this month Mingo was jointly charged with former government minister, Volda Lawrence for fraud.
In March criminal charges were filed against the duo by Charles Ramson Jr. in relation to the controversial District Four results. The contention is that Mingo and Lawrence uttered a forged document with the intent of defrauding the public, contrary to Section 278 of the Criminal Law Offences Act Chapter 8:01. It is alleged that Mingo, having been ‘procured’ by former government minister, Ms. Volda Lawrence, on or about March 5, 2020, at Hadfield and High Streets, Georgetown, uttered to the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield, a Form 24 Representation of the People Act dated March 5, 2020, knowing same to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of the state of Guyana. It is also alleged that, in the course of Mingo and Lawrence colluding to forge the Form 24 document, the latter’s signature was affixed to the said document, which had shown a win for the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC). Mingo was placed on self-bail, while Lawrence was released on $100,000 bail.
this emergency budget, and Budget 2021 will outline the transformative agenda for the medium-term; one that is inclusionary and participatory in its architecture and implementation. Budget 2020 includes a $25,000 cash transfer to every household; a $15,000 cash grant for school children and $4,000 uniform voucher; $800 million for the Amerindian Development Fund; $5 billion for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo); a two-week, tax-free bonus for members of the joint services; and $150 million for frontline workers, among many other things. President Dr. Irfaan Ali had said also said, government, after re-prioritising and re-programming fiscal measures, has managed to add $20 billion in relief to the “pockets” of Guyanese, at a time when the nation is faced with the effects of the COVID-19 and the recently-concluded protracted electoral process. The conduits of relief include revised tax measures and sweeping incentives. The broad objectives of those measures, which feature in government’s emer-
gency budget, are to stimulate economic activity; get persons back to work; increase Guyana’s productive capacity; reduce the cost of doing business; improve efficiency; and facilitate growth and development of businesses. “These measures will have an immense impact on people’s welfare and well-being… as these measures would also address directly, issues of cost of living and living standards,” said President Ali. Budget 2020 comes at the end of the third quarter of the year so expenditure would have been accumulated in the first half of the year to ensure the continuation of multi-year projects and programmes, and provision of public services in the middle of the pandemic. To account for expenditures made by the former APNU+AFC administration between January 1 and September 1, 2020, Government would have tabled a Statement of Expenditure which was unanimously passed by the National Assembly.
