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By Leon SuseranRevamping the cash- strapped National Insurance Scheme (NIS); re-launching Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CR&MA); online courses for the University of Guyana (UG) and lights for night cricket at the Albion Sports Complex were some of the plans to be announced in this year’s budget according to President Donald RamotarThe budget, he told Berbicians, will be aimed at advancing and strengthening the welfare of all Guyanese. The 2013 National Budget is due to be presented soon in the National Assembly.“A labour market clearing- house; revamp and re- launch of the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency with a mandate to reach out to more job-seekers and employers will be on the cards.”“We would partner with the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) through its apprenticeship programme and improve its efficiency in the market,” Ramotar stated.“We know that there are lots of problems with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and we will look again at the NIS. (We will) unveil a programme to increase coverage, improve compliance and raise the administrative efficiency of the NIS as a means of improving the financial health and effectiveness of the scheme, but not to substitute the reforms to emerge from the recommendations in the Actuarial Report”.He stated that a programme for young professionals will aim “to give them adequate housing, development of special housing scheme for them including special incentives for them to own their own homes.”At the level of the University of Guyana, “we want to use information technology to take university education to put it online so that people in the remote areas….can also earn a higher education.” And for farmers,Blank Uruguay Jersey, he added that the government wants to launch a “farmers fertilizer and plant material scheme and facility under wither financial support, credit is provided …and other critical inputs or the procurement of these inputs is done centrally by the new Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) will…to try to bring down the cost of our farmers…and not to make huge profits.”The sugar industry,Emil Bergstrom Sweden Jersey, he stated,Carlos Salcedo Mexico Jersey, will have to be relooked at. “We have to look again at the sugar industry and revamp plans to transform the industry to make it efficient and effective and to allow it to continue to make the tremendous contribution that it has made in the development of Guyana.”The government is also looking at creating an Amerindian Youth Apprentice and Entrepreneurial Scheme to give Amerindians an opportunity to improve the economic circumstances.“We want to develop projects for the Diaspora to encourage them to come to make a contribution to invest in our country. We want to reduce the bureaucracy in government services”,Matias Vecino Uruguay Jersey, the Guyanese leader mentioned.Police reforms,Sebastian Holmen Sweden Jersey, plans “to train them and make them more effective, re -organize the prisons and increase work on reforming prisoners”,Juan Carlos Medina Mexico Jersey, will also be worked into the budget this year. “We are reorganizing even our fire service. We want to use reform also our tax system to ensure it is more efficient and not burdensome and makes a bigger contribution to the development of our country”.The budget will also focus on expanding sports facilities, he hinted. The government will be installing lights at the Albion Sports Complex in Berbice so that you can have 20/20 cricket at nights,Adam Lundqvist Sweden Jersey, to produce more Basil Butchers,Meliton Hernandez Mexico Jersey, Rohan Kanhais and Kallicharrans. This venture will cost over US$200,Diego Godin Uruguay Jersey,000. |
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