Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has asserted that people must be realistic as to what they expect of a government in these times.
“I think that we are taking for granted some basic things,” Chastanet said earlier this week during an appearance on G.V.D.TV.
“The fact is that the government has never missed a beat on paying salaries. The government has met all of its debt obligations,” the PM observed.
“The government has been able at all times have money in the bank to deal with the roll over of our bonds.”
“So let’s look at those things – God forbid, that we missed payroll, what would the general public’s reaction be? If in fact we forfeited on the debt, what would the reaction be?” Chastanet, who is also Minister of Finance asked.
He noted that other countries are also experiencing difficult times and to some extent, meeting basic needs.
“We have to appreciate what has happened with COVID. The government ‘s revenue in the first three or four months dropped by more than 50 percent with no build up – it went from March and fell off a cliff in April and we have yet to recover,” Chastanet asserted.
“Are we doing a little bit better than expected? The answer is yes, but we also have additional expenses,” he pointed out.
Among the additional expenses the PM cited were assistance to people in need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, caring for the additional cases of the virus and now accommodating COVID Wardens.
Some 200 wardens have been selected to help ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocols.
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