Skip to playerSkip to main content
CCNTV6
  • 5 weeks ago
Former Minister in the Ministry of Finance and San Fernando East MP, Brian Manning, criticises the Finance Minister's budget presentation as highly improbable, asserting that the government is misleading the public.

Nicole M Romany has the details.
Transcript
00:00Opposition MP Brian Manning maintains that the budget is misleading and fraudulent.
00:07He tells the Morning Edition unions have praised the 10% wage increase but remain silent on
00:13the higher retirement age and NIS contributions.
00:17He warns the increase will ultimately cost everyone including public servants and hints
00:24at an ulterior motive by the government.
00:27And also we believe that this government wants to have a reason to access the HSF fund within
00:32the next fiscal year. We are setting the stage for that by setting this improbable energy price,
00:39I believe it's in the budget here, at $73.25 per barrel and $4.25 per MMBTU. That is absolutely
00:47fantastic. There's no possible way that that is going to be achieved in this current global
00:53energy environment. Mr. Manning, who previously served as Minister in the Ministry of Finance
00:58under the PNM, says the country can expect limited revenue from the energy sector due to global price
01:05fluctuations and reduced production over the past several years.
01:10In fact, we have been so challenged in terms of revenues from the energy sector that this government
01:16would renege on its cancellation of the Dragon deal and decide to revisit that project which they
01:22had been battling against for the past decade. As soon as they get into office, they decide,
01:26you know what, let's rethink this Dragon deal because they are that desperate for revenues.
01:31Manning says securing the Dragon gas deal could benefit the country, Venezuela and the global economy.
01:38However, he expresses doubt that the current government can successfully see the effort through,
01:45citing what he describes as callous and thoughtless statements by several government officials,
01:52including the Prime Minister regarding Venezuela.
01:55Why would Venezuela want to negotiate with such persons in the situation that they are in? We had one
02:00minister talking about another one of our allies nuking Venezuela. How do you, you know,
02:08say something like that and then go look a world leader in the eye and attempt to negotiate a reasonable,
02:14mutually beneficial deal? It's difficult. I would be extremely surprised if this government can pull
02:21it off. I hope they can for the future of Trim Nara to be. On the scrapping of the CPEP and URP programs,
02:28the MP says local government services have collapsed since the new administration took office,
02:35saying, flooding has worsened, drains remain uncleaned, and garbage collection and grass cutting have
02:42suffered, services the CPEP once supported. He describes the move as a cost-cutting exercise
02:50driven by funding shortages in an attempt to uphold the 10% wage promise to the PSA. He also criticizes the
02:59scrapping as a vindictive attempt to dismantle what the government views as a PNM program. Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
Be the first to comment
Add your comment