Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Godwin Friday, says the 2023 budget reflects assumption, promises and very little performance.
In his contribution to the 2023 budget debate, delivered by Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves, Dr. Friday said the Minister did not set out anything in his presentation that came close to any comprehensive plan that deals with critical issues going forward.
“When the Minister presented his budget, it took 5 hours, there about and he seemed very pleased with himself. I listened and I said the minister called this budget many things, and he called it a jobs budget, but it is clear after listening that like many other things from the Government, this is simply a case of a lot of promise or promises. There is a lot of assumptions, but little in the way of actual delivery,” said Dr. Friday.
“The Minister it seems to me, that he wants to get credit for his Government’s intentions, rather than further actions.
The overwhelming issues that I gather, facing the country are the high cost of living, that’s the thing most people are concerned about; the high unemployment they can’t get jobs and if you don’t have jobs how are you going to provide for your family, you can’t live on Government handouts or remittances from abroad. The Minister did not set out anything in his for dealing with these critical issues going forward,” he said.
