SOCIAL SECTOR
Mr. Speaker and Honorable members of this house, I rise to make my contribution on the 2008 budget.
The goal of spending money in a nation should be for social and economic benefits across every strata of society. In order to enhance and guarantee this, there must be people’s particapitation from community level to parliament.
The revenue of our country is generated by the working class citizens who labour in fields, factories, offices and even the dangerous high-seas. Therefore the Government who is tasked with spending these monies must do so with much prudence knowing that they have to give an account to the men and women of our nation and also Almighty God.
This Budget, like many others has stipulated billions to be spent in various areas of national activities and development.
Over the past years vast sums of monies were already spent in most of these areas, yet hunger, poverty, sickness, crimes, illiteracy, immorality, and death lingers in our midst.
No one spends without looking for a return and as 2008 progresses and this budget is executed the AFC calls on the Government to ensure that the people of Guyana visibly benefit from these expenditures.
Mr. Speaker the 2008 Budget estimated $19 billion for the Education Sector. In the year 2007 expenditure in the Education Sector amounted to $17.1 billion. It is projected in the 2008 Budget “Over $728 Million will be spent on teachers training to upgrade capabilities and curriculum modules, provide teaching aids to teachers and learning materials to students”.
During the year 2007 and previous years private educational institutions were on the rise and many were forced to resort to these institutions. Even students who attended public schools had to supplement their education by paying for private lessons. Private lessons are big business because public education is deficient. Will our children have to take private lessons to supplement their education given by the Government or will we continue to see more private Educational Institutions established during this year? I can safely say in the year 1979-1980 my fellow students and I did not take private lessons. At secondary levels we were given text books by the then Government.
What we need here Mr. Speaker is proper management of the people’s money and implementation of these programmes mentioned in the 2008 Budget.
The reality is all students’ need to benefit from their entitled education. Mr. Speaker we call on the Government to allocate finances for moral and religious education in the 2008 Budget. There is need for a balance between the moral and material; the secular and religious.
The Government should spend money to rid this country of the many social ills which have impregnated our society to the point where we have to endure massacres.
Due to the massacres in Lusignan and Bartica where 23 persons died fear and depression have gripped our country. Many will like to limit this to Bartica and Lusignan, but this is a country wide situation and should be recognized as such.
After visiting these two areas where the massacres took place and a number of communities across Guyana, I recognized the fear and depression in the lives of people across this land.
The AFC is calling for a country wide counseling to be done to private individuals who are in need of helpful counseling. The media can be effectively used to extend professional counseling nationally. What is circulated on the Government Media is causing more vexation and depression. Subtract some of this an give time for experts with counseling skills to give guidance.
Mr. Speaker the social ills in our country are many. How much money does the Government intend to spend to eliminate such social ills as pornography, vulgar music, prostitution, drugs, alcohol, etc. The root cause of rape originates from these social ills. Why is it they are not provided for in the 2008 Budget and address in the “Stamp It Out” paper proposed by the Honorable Minister Prya Manickchand.
Mr. Speaker unless the Government addresses these root causes chaos will continue in our country. The AFC will not settle for a national campaign against symptoms without addressing all causes of our country’s domestic problems.
Mr. Speaker social ills and domestic problems continue as women from Grass Field Lusignan came to visit me this morning with their problems. Drinking and cooking water is needed immediately. They had been paying $2000.00 for 400 gals of water. Although pipe lines are installed here there is no access to portable water. They are asked to pay $4000.00 this morning for the same amount.
Mr. Speaker domestic violence is on the rise in our society. Domestic violence can only be eliminated by dealing with the causes which have impregnated our society. We call on the Government to recognise that pornography, vulgar music, prostitution, drugs, alcohol, immorality etc. are leading causes of domestic violence and finances should be provided to eliminate these social ills.
These causes of social ills largely and substantially are as a result of the poor economic situation. Low employment creates high poverty and high cost of living. All of these combined with low moral levels and an absence of religious values aggravates these social problems. We must as quickly as possible solve these larger problems.
Mr. Speaker I close as a servant and a child of God by quoting two verses from the Holy Bible:
“In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path”. Pro. 3:6.
“Righteousness exalted a Nation, but sin is a reproach to any people”. Pro. 14:34.
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