Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, Robert Corbin, yesterday, during his party’s weekly press briefing said that the 2011 budget in itself has exposed Guyana’s position about money. The amount of foreign-funded projects will only serve to be a yoke around necks of future generations, he said.The European Union, China, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Inter American Development Bank and Kuwait are funding projects. According to Corbin it is clear the budget exposes the myth of the government doing so well.“When we examine the budget we see how many dollars have been borrowed and will be a yoke around the neck of the future generations…(It) is putting a burden on the future of Guyanese…the figures are clear to be interpreted.”Corbin also questioned the rationale that the Government used to “discriminate” against Telecommunication Companies as it relates to the lowering of the Corporation tax. There has been no lowering of the corporation tax levied against the telecommunication companies. At the same time, Digicel is enjoying a tax holiday.“One would expect that there would be some rationale to deal with corporate taxes and on what basis they single out telecommunication companies.”Corbin posited that the Government already rakes in huge amounts from the companies as a result of the Value Added Tax (VAT), which is imposed, on every telephone user. “Already the sector is a cash cow for Government.”The opposition leader said that the rationale used, is difficult to comprehend adding that the Government, ever since assuming office in 1992, had a policy of attacking GT&T. He said that the companies are making significant investments, so the rationale for the corporation tax not benefitting them is questionable.The Opposition leader said that his party had taken a motion to parliament asking for comprehensive tax reform that would have dealt with this. “They prefer to deal with it in the ad hoc manner…is an anomaly and can’t see the reason for it.”He said that as his party predicted, the $161.4B, 2011 Election Budget, presented to the National Assembly on Monday last, fell mighty short of offering a better quality of life for the workers and poorer classes of Guyana.“Despite the usual boast of it being the largest Budget ever,Jerseys Cheap NFL, Guyanese workers are still saddled with the unconscionable, 16 per cent Value Added Tax, (VAT), which makes a mockery of all the alleged increases in old age pensions,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, and social assistance, and, the raising of the Income Tax threshold from $35,000.00 to $40,000.00.”He said that given the recognition of the need to raise pensions by 14 per cent, one would have expected that,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, at the minimum, wages and salaries would have been increased by the same 14 per cent.“The raising of the income tax threshold, therefore, will have no impact on most workers who are in fact receiving less than $40,000.00 per month, which is grossly inadequate to cope with the high cost of living in Guyana…It is obvious that the Minister of Finance,Wholesale Jerseys USA, abusing his parliamentary privilege, feels that the length of his Budget speech is a substitute for substance and coherent measures that can promote the development of Guyana.”He said that the absence of consultation with stakeholders which characterised previous budgets remains a continuing deficiency and the huge figures announced for capital expenditure give no assurance in the area of transparency, accountability, and value for money.“More important, the Budget has become a most unreliable source of determining the activities of the administration, which has been notorious with the regular passage of huge supplementary provisions later in the year…“In December 2010, alone, the Government approved some $6B under the amorphous head of Housing Development. Parliamentary scrutiny, however, exposed the reality: the money was really intended to undertake a number of projects which could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be classified as housing projects.”Corbin said that the reality was that the PPP had commenced accumulating its election slush fund to be utilised in 2011 for the expressed purpose of buying votes.The 2011 Budget, Corbin said, was merely an extension of that objective.“The PPP, however, fails to realise that the people of Guyana are far more intelligent than that party gives them credit for…The huge expenditures announced gives no assurance that the result will be a better quality of service in the various sectors.”He questioned as an example if the $14B announced for the Health sector will impact the extraordinary high level of maternal deaths at Government Hospitals?“Or, will the $1.4B allocated to the water sector ensure the deliver

By Kiana WilburgConsidering the damage done to the Brazil/Guyana fibre optic cable project due to grave mismanagement, LeaderOpposition Leader, David Grangerof A Partnership National Unity, David Granger, asserted yesterday,Cheap NFL Football Jerseys, that the venture might very well be at “death’s door.”There have been harsh criticisms from some political quarters, following the pronouncement by Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, that the fibre optic cable scheme suffered several failures. While he insisted that the project has not collapsed, he described its current stage as being “remedial.”Dr. Luncheon had said that the project which was started in 2011, endured several setbacks due to defaulting contractors and supervising firms. He had noted, however, that legal action was filed against those directly responsible but no ruling on how they should be penalized was made as yet.He disclosed that he is in talks with a local firm and another of a neighbouring country, on completing the project.Granger however said that A Partnership for National Unity is of the view that the ambitious project was placed in the wrong hands from the start. This, the APNU Parliamentarian said, was as a result of the opaqueness of the government procedures with regard to the venture and that it was not subject to a competitive process.The politician said that the selected head of the unit was not required to demonstrate any experience or knowledge of the project with which he was put in charge of, and it is for these reasons, he felt that it was very badly flawed from the start. Heading the project is the President’s son,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, Alexei Ramotar.Granger told members of the media yesterday during his weekly press conference,Jerseys NFL Cheap, that he does not know if the project could be salvaged and that “it might be at death’s door.”“I don’t know that the damage caused by mismanagement can be corrected at this point in time.”The resuscitation of the project is expected to cost taxpayers another huge sum of money, but Granger said that he would not support this. About $1B has already been wasted. The politician asserted that he will not support it unless there is a careful study or review of the entire project by experts to determine whether it is worthwhile continuing,Cheap China Jerseys, or whether it will be safe at all.He emphasized as well, that the first step would be to take the project out of the hands of those who have it where it is.Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan,NHL Jerseys From China, had also said that projects conducted in stealth and secrecy invariably reek of suspicion and corruption. The dying Brazil/Guyana fibre-optic cable project is a prime example of this.He had insisted that were it transparent and done in “daylight”, the planners would have been forced to do a checklist of all the potential hazards, thus being able to plan effectively. But when it is done in haste,Cheap NBA Jerseys China, the politician had said it is logical for one to expect it to falter.The attorney-at-law said that while Dr. Luncheon preferred to not use the word collapse, but rather that the project is in a “remedial” stage, the Cabinet Secretary is not being forthright in his assessment of the situation.“It will continue to cost Guyana millions of dollars which will go down the drain because of corrupt transactions behind the scenes.”Dr. Luncheon had stated that while Guyana is not accessing the bandwidth, it has incurred some debt with the Brazilians.“Well I would hate to say this publicly, but we haven’t paid them for the connection. We do have a contract to purchase bandwidth, but the mechanism to access it hasn’t kicked in. The Brazilians have been understanding.“We owe some US$76,000 a year for bandwidth connection on the project,” The Cabinet Secretary had said. However, the Project Manager, Alexei Ramotar, via a telephone conversation had insisted that Guyana is not receiving any bandwidth, and as such, he is not aware that Guyana owes the neighbouring country a cent.

Pupils in the following age groups— of 5-7,Wholesale Baseball Jerseys, 8-10,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, 11-13 and 14-17 from Nursery and Primary Schools within Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam), were afforded the opportunity to display their dramatic and singing talent before their fellow pupils and teachers.The well coordinated event took place at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground. Mention was made about the observance of more schools participating in this year’s children Mashramani competition than the previous year.Regional Executive Officer,Wholesale China Jerseys, Rupert Hopkinson,Adidas NHL Jerseys China, who attended the event and addressed it,Cheap NHL Jerseys Online, said that this year is special because Guyana will be observing its 50th anniversary. Hopkinson added,Wholesale Jerseys Online, that the Region is doing good and wished all the participants well.The Children Mashramani competition will continue on Wednesday with dance and masquerade competitions and Friday with the physical display and costume competition. This year’s event is celebrated under the theme ‘Celebrating diversity through unity and sovereignty.’Mainstay Nursery emerged winner in the dramatic poetry. (Yannason Duncan)

The Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security has set the week beginning Sunday, September 21,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, to commemorate Child Protection Week.The occasion is an annual event led by the Ministry.The goal of Child Protection Week is that “all children should grow up in an environment that is safe from abuse,NFL Jerseys China, neglect and exploitation.”The week will be used to highlight the rights of children and promote that they be placed as a priority on each department, agency and organization’s agenda.Child Protection Week is observed in more than 120 countries around the world.? It was first observed in Guyana in 2004 as a week to “promote the value of children, to focus attention on the issues of child abuse and neglect and to encourage local groups to participate in prevention activities.”The Ministry has stated that it has recognized that child protection is everyone’s business, but noted that in today’s society there is a definite need for more involvement of community groups and individuals in dealing with the challenge of making child protection everyone’s responsibility.As such the Ministry is calling on all groups, segments, agencies and the public at large to work closely to rid the society of all forms of abuse against children.Consequently, the focus this year is to raise the level of awareness by highlighting the plight of children who are abused and neglected and to encourage members of the community to take action and rescue a child from abuse.As part of the celebration,Cheap Stitched Jerseys, a number of walk-about exercises and mini-rallies would be conducted in communities throughout the country to encourage individuals and groups to speak out, and to report incidences of abuse.They are also expected to keep reporting until action is taken to work with the Social Services Department as they seek to strengthen families,Wholesale Jerseys 2018, to restore values of love,Wholesale Cheap Jerseys, care and support for all children.During the week, in addition to the activities in the Regions,Cheap China NFL Jerseys, there will be several media programmes and a symposium at the National Library and one large rally at the National Park on September 26, to bring the curtain down on the week’s activities.This year’s commemoration would be conducted under the theme: “Every Citizen a Child Protector.”