GMSA, GCCI proffer mixed reviews of 2018 budget

Deodat Indar

The customary private sector responses to government annual budget proposals have again reflected a mix of praise and criticism with the latter, in the instances of both the Guyana Manufacturing & Services   Association (GMSA) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) taking precedence over the former.

In a short statement seen by this newspaper on Wednesday afternoon the GMSA said that while the government’s 2018 budget proposals took on board several of its recommendations it has  not  provided  a  menu  of  measures  to  stimulate  and  expand  the  manufacturing sector.

The  GMSA  was  hopeful  that  proposed  measures  to  address  critical  areas  such  as  taxation,  access  to finance, and energy would have been considered. These could have provided a much needed catalyst for the manufacturing sector to achieve the projected 2.4 percent growth.