OPINION: The 2024 Jagdeo Budget Part 1: Leave Defence of Guyana to our Allies!

Last Updated on Sunday, 4 February 2024, 8:54 by Denis Chabrol

by Retired Rear Admiral, Dr Gary Best

At the outset, let us agree that VP Jagdeo is really the Finance Minister of Guyana, though others add more ostentatious titles to his name. If you have any doubt, simply check the Bank of Guyana notes that you spend. In the area conventionally reserved for the words Minister of Finance and the signature of that person, we now see the words ‘Vice President’ and Jagdeo’s signature. Therefore, this is his budget! And not that of Dr Ashni Singh. Again, if there is doubt, check the VP’s pre budget presser of 18^th January and you will hear his convoluted explanations and impassionate defence of the entire G1.14 trillion-dollar 2024 budget. What followed in the National Assembly was a mere repeat of the VP’s public instructions. I therefore call it the Jagdeo budget.

Unfortunately, this budget is ‘much ado’ about nothing! Including the defence of our nation state. Imagine, after a real possibility of the annexing of Essequibo by Venezuela and settlement incursions by illegal Venezuelan nationals, the Jagdeo budget is not situated within this reality. Neither does it provide the significant financial resources required, over the immediate to medium term, to secure the nation state of Guyana and its citizens. Just spend elsewhere, seems to be the PPP’s mantra! The VP ought to be aware that to “engender confidence in the economy” as he puts it, the country’s territory must be safe for external aggression.

In his own words of 18^th January 2024, he informed the nation that “… the Army [sic] recapitalization is a significant part of this budget…” Not true at all!  Instead, a mere 4.2% %, or approximately G$52bn, of this G1.14 trillion-dollar budget is allocated to defence. While approximately 60% of the Jagdeo budget has been allocated towards infrastructure, a budgetary imbalance that threatens the defence of this nation. Something is definitely wrong with this PPP’s approach to national defence by prioritizing infrastructure over defence and security of this nation! Insecure borders retard economic and political development, growth, and national confidence. No less a person than the Leader of the Opposition berated the government for providing inadequate resources to this critical defence sector. The nation is also reminded that it was the PPP who ‘wished away’ this existential danger to Guyana for 23yrs while in office, which eventually led to Venezuela posing a real threat of annexing Essequibo.

I had pointed out in a previous opinion the frailty of the Argyle Declaration. No sooner than mere hours of the reading of Jagdeo’s budget, we all heard breaking news that the United States may be forced to reimpose sanctions on Venezuela because President Maduro broke his signed agreement with the opposition to allow candidate Machado to contest the upcoming Venezuelan elections. No doubt, Maduro will try to hide behind his top court’s decision that bars candidate Machado, but the larger issue for Guyana is the renewed risks posed to it, if and when US sanctions are reimposed on Venezuela. Consequently, why in the face of such sanctions, should we believe Maduro would confirm to the ‘peace’ contents of the Argyle Agreement? Why in the face of such risks aren’t any significant funds and details presented about securing the nation from this existential threat posed by Venezuela. The PPP is reminded that territorial Defence is a prime national responsibility of the government.

Surely, the Guyanese nation expected the Jagdeo budget to provide increased financial resources to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and details on how it plans to secure this nation. Details on how the nation’s first line of defence- defence diplomacy, would be buttressed and expanded globally were expected. Details on how the concept of total national defence would be operationalized across Guyana, to give effect and resources for every citizen to defend Guyana, in accordance with our constitution, were expected. Details on how the GDF would be expanded and equipped to defend our land and maritime borders, beyond its current capability, were expected. Surely, details on how the GDF would be expanded and equipped to defend and protect our vital offshore oil resources, were expected. Not forgetting details about establishing living and defensive frontiers. Certainly, details about changing our citizenship laws to protect the nation state from settlement incursions were expected. Surely, the VP ought to know that such details are what provide confidence in our citizens to work even harder at national development and confidence in attracting and protecting foreign investments.

Instead, the Jagdeo budget deliberately misses this mark, making it appear that territorial and national defence are primarily based on external promises of help. Let me also remind the PPP that no foreign nation would allow their troops to bleed for Guyana if we are not prepared to first bleed for our own nation. Unless Guyana shows more defence strength, similar to the 70s/80s/, Venezuela will continue to be more and more adventurous in threatening the annexation of Essequibo. “Building out the infrastructure now”, a familiar phrase of VP Jagdeo, and leaving defence behind, is a dangerous plan for Guyana. It puts Guyana and all of its citizens at considerable defence risks. Finally, it is clear that the PPP government has no policy for the defence of Guyana. It is not a significant part of their political matrix. In Part 2, I will show how the Jagdeo budget is more about magic rather than reality.