More Guyanese to benefit as economy improves
Georgetown, GINA, January 12, 2008
A nation’s well-being depends on the performance of its economy and in the case of Guyana’s economy; it has constantly been evolving to record significant achievements which are serving to propel the nation‘s development and to ensure a more sophisticated way of life for its people.
Such growth has been the basis for Guyanese being assisted with financial incentives and assistance in many areas. Throughout the years, the budgetary allocations have been rising to take into consideration more projects fro development and more initiatives to assist the less fortunate.
Budgetary allocations
Through the national budget, Government allocates significant resources to the various sectors annually to continue the development process. The overall budget has been increasing steadily showing Government’s commitment to this process.
This shows a 60 8 percent increase in the budget from 2000 to 2007.
Minimum wage and salaries
When the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) took office in 1992, the minimum wage was $3,137 and over the years, in seeking to offer Guyanese the chance of elevating themselves Government has steadily increased this amount. In 1999 the minimum wage was $15,000 which was raised to $19,000 a year later. In 2005, the minimum wage increased to $23,204 and again in 2006 to $24,828.
Salaries for public servants, teachers and the disciplined services have also consistently increased. In 1992 the lowest salary received by a public servant was $3,137 while the highest was $16,358. This figure in 2005 moved to $28,330 and $369,527 respectively. When analysed, this reflects an 803 percent increase in wages from 1992 to 2005.
Teachers this year will enjoy a 14 percent increase in their salaries while public servants benefit from nine percent.
Increased Income Tax Threshold
The number of persons paying taxes is lessened every year as Government continues to increase the income tax threshold. This year, the threshold has been raised from $28,000 to $35,000, an increase of 25 percent. This is one of Government’s ways of ensuring that it gives back to the poor in the country to improve their lives. It removes 36,000 employees from the tax net.
Year |
Income Tax threshold |
2004 |
$18,000 |
2005 |
$20,000 |
2006 |
$25,000 |
2007 |
$28,000 |
2008 |
$35,000 |
From 2000 to 2008, there has been approximately 49 percent increase in the income tax threshold.
Old Age Pension and public assistance
Old age pensioners and public assistance recipients have been benefiting from yearly increases as government seeks to make the lives of its senior citizens more comfortable From a meagre amount of $290 granted in 1992, pension has grown to $6000 in 2008. This represents an increase of $1.34 B from the 2007 amount to what is now offered. Public assistance has been increased from $2,470 to $4,500 this year. This recent move by government will assist about 50,000 Guyanese.
From 2005 to January 2008, pension and public assistance will have moved from $968.8M to $3.33B.
Lower Fiscal Deficit
Fiscal deficit is the gap between government expenses and its revenue from tax and other sources and in 2007, Guyana recorded a lower fiscal deficit than the previous year.
The external indebtedness of the country declined from US$1B to about US$700M and according to President Jagdeo, this amount excludes some non Paris club creditors whom government is not paying because of agreements not being concluded as they are required to provide comparable terms. Government estimates that the debt is about US$500M, about 50 percent of the GDP, falling from 750 percent when the PPP/C government took office.
The US$2.1B inherited by the PPP/C government saw 94 percent of the country’s revenue used to service it. This left little for spending internally on social sector reform programmes but this did not put a damper on the resolve of the Government to provide the nation with much needed resources and services. Today the changes are evident.
With the debt standing as it is, this means that Government will now therefore, be in the position to spend more on development programmes in education, health care, housing and water, and other sectors essential to Guyanese, especially the poor.
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Vital D&I investment at Western Hogg Island
-significant boost for agricultural development
Georgetown, GINA, January 12, 2008
Government’s interest in advancing agriculture with investments in basic infrastructure and services to support farmers is gaining momentum in more communities including Western Hogg Island, where approximately $117M was spent to undertake major drainage and irrigation improvement.
The works, which were done under the Poor Rural Communities Support Services Project (PRCSSP) included rehabilitation and excavation of more than 11 miles of new canals and construction of five concrete water-control structures.
This will benefit close to 600 persons on the Essequibo River island in Region Three, since it provides farmers with enhanced water-control for approximately 3,000 acres of arable lands that can now be more productively utilized for cultivation.
Another spin-off of the development will result in the island being better positioned to supply sustainable quantity and high quality produce for processing at the Parika packaging and storage facility currently being built.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, accompanied by various officials of the
Ministry and Region Three today visited the Island where they held a farmers’ meeting followed by an official commissioning ceremony for the drainage project.
The project’s importance to increasing production and productivity on the island was highlighted and farmers were urged to maximise the opportunities presented to them for increasing cultivation as a result of the investment.
This further represents the administration’s commitment and focus on enhancing food production in Guyana to meet the demand for agricultural produce in the Caribbean and elsewhere, farmers were told.
Government’s continuing investment in more training for farmers, skilled personnel, improved D&I, effective pesticides and pest control, marketing services and research and technological development were highlighted in this regard.
Minister Persaud informed farmers of efforts to encourage agricultural diversification through which non-traditional crops have been promoted and have proven successful. Exports of non-traditional crops recorded a 25 percent increase in 2007 when compared to the 2006 figures.
Farmers were implored to co-operate and take advantage of the opportunities that exist in this area as they are guaranteed more support from Government under other projects such as the US$20M Agricultural Diversification Initiative which is scheduled to come on stream during this year.
Reference was made to some of the direct investments in agricultural development at Hogg Island through which soil tests were conducted enabling farmers to be better advised on what crop type to cultivate.
Additionally, a demonstration plot was established with assistance from the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and has been used to introduce cultivation of organic pineapples and other crops on demand in the international markets.
NARI has also worked with farmers to address some of the problems facing them including a disease that previously affected pumpkins while inter-cropping was introduced. Hogg Island is well known for its production of ground provisions, citrus, vegetables and fruits and cattle-rearing.
The island previously benefited under the initiative that targets rearing of small ruminants through which farmers were given several sheep to kick-start the project in their community.
During the meeting at the Western Hogg Island Primary School, farmers were given the opportunity to raise concerns during which there were few comments mainly about private land issues which are engaging the attention of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission. Several officials of this agency were present and provided updates on various issues.
Farmers spoke about their inability to pay for occupational and cadastral surveys which will be conducted in their area by the Lands and Surveys Commission. They suggested assistance to carry out the surveys to offset the cost which Minister Persaud said will be explored.
General Manager of the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (NGMC) Nizam Hassan, Director of NARI Dr. Oudho Homenauth and Chief Executive Officer (ag) of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Lionel Wordsworth were among those present during the meetings.
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Local Gov’t Minister urges Regions to focus more on health, education
-at Local Government Conference
Georgetown, GINA, January 12, 2008
The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is planning to shift some of its focus from the development of infrastructure and placing it on improving the capacity of education and health services in the ten administrative regions this year.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Kellawan Lall, addressed these issues with Regional Chairmen, Vice- Chairmen and Regional Executives Officers at the first Local Government conference for the year held at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, today.
Minister Lall said while there is an over-riding focus on the construction of infrastructure, more focus should be concentrated on improving education and the provision of medical services and medicine in the regions.
In order to have the best results from students, they need the full attention of teachers and education officers.
For this to be acquired Minister Lall said the Regional Chairmen need to properly monitor Regional Education Officers (REO) and other persons in the education system to ensure they are always available in the regions and are properly executing their duties.
Minister of Education Shaik Baksh, who also addressed the forum, said too often education officers leave the regions without informing officials and this is one of the issues that will be seriously addressed. He said the Regional Education Department will be visiting schools on a regular basis to ensure that teachers are in the schools and that schools are fully staffed at all times.
This year, the focus will be on the distribution of text books and the assigning of welfare officers to regions which require them.
According to Minister Baksh the regions will receive manuals which will inform them of the functions of the school Board so that they will be aware of its policies.
He said the school feeding programme will also continue countrywide during this year.
Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy while at the conference said it is paramount to the country’s development to focus on health and education and in the area of health, the regional officials, when preparing the regions’ budgets, need to ensure they include realistic and adequate money to cater for the regions’ needs which include medicine.
He said far too often some regions do not always use some of the medicines for which they ask and they therefore need to provide proper quotations of what is necessary for the health institutions.
The employment and replacement of health-care officers is the responsibility of the regions, therefore shortages should be minimal, Minister Ramsammy said.
Health is the responsibility of Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and therefore all officers need to be onboard to ensure that persons receive the best health service offered.
There are over 381 health facilities countrywide which provide medical services. This year, the Ministry will be focusing on enhancing services and providing more health-care officers such as surgeons and nurses.
The Ministry will also be releasing a package providing information on the type of public services offered for each level of health-care, so that planning in the regions will become easier.
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