The government yesterday presented a budget of $142.8 billion which largely rests on taxes and export earnings, but fell short on detailing specific actions to create jobs and increase household income. The budget represents an increase of 10.8 percent over 2009.When the global recession kicked in, the government had given public servants a $4,Wholesale Jerseys From China,000 top up on their salaries as cost of living allowance. That money has been added to their salaries. No increase in the income tax threshold was announced, and so the taxable income remains at $35,000.In a three-hour presentation, Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, factored into the budget the US$30 million the government expects to receive from Norway as part of the five-year forest-saving deal. That money will go toward infrastructure development,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, low carbon small business initiatives, the cost of land demarcation and land titling for indigenous communities, and the work of the Office of Climate Change.The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association has projected to take its annual gold production to 500,000 ounce, valued at $100 billion this year – a projection that would represent more than half of the total budget, Singh announced. But the Finance Minister stayed away from the projection of the Association, and instead estimated production at 311, 000 ounces.The Association is fighting new mining regulations its members say would jeopardise their production and threaten industry’s 100,000 jobs.Overall real growth in Gross Domestic Product is projected at 4.4 percent, with the non-sugar economy projected to grow by 3.4 percent.The chunk of earnings to support the budget for this year will come from taxes. Revenue is budgeted to increase by 3.2 percent to $98.2 billion, of which the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is projected to collect $94.1 billion. Customs and Trade taxes are projected at $8.3 billion representing an 8.1 percent increase primarily linked to higher import duties given higher levels of imports and improved surveillance by the GRA.Internal revenue collections are targeted to increase by 5.1 percent to $38.6 billion, reflecting improved private sector performance in the areas of corporation taxes and income taxes from the self-employed. Value-added and excise taxes are targeted to increase by 5.6 percent to $47.2 billion, due to higher VAT collections on both imports and domestic supplies consistent with projected increases in business activities.Sugar production is projected at 280,000. Singh said that this would be realised owing to the implementation of a turnaround plan that includes increased cultivation, returns to mechanisation and improvement in the conversion rate of sugar from cane.However, he said that achieving this target would also be dependent on favourable weather conditions and a stable industrial relations environment.Singh said that the government would pump a further $4.1 billion to complete all aspects of the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Plant. The new Skeldon estate was commissioned by President Bharrat Jagdeo at a cost of US$181 million.The industry,Soccer Jerseys China, last year blamed strikes and bad weather for failing to achieve its target. The final production figure was 233,735 tonnes. This was 15,785 tonnes short of the business plan target of 249,520 tonnes.The rice industry is projected to see a setback of 4.6 percent since bad weather in the latter months of last year adversely affected the sowing of paddy. This will therefore result in lower production. The projected production is for 343,373 tonnes of rice.The livestock industry is expected to continue along a similar growth path in recent years with a projected 2.9 percent growth. Other agriculture is also projected to grow by 2.1 percent as the agricultural diversification programme and the Grow More campaigns are expected to continue to reap rewards.The forestry sector is projected to grow by five percent as the demand for wood products is expected to increase as the world economy recovers and as increased production of sawn lumber and policies to facilitate greater export of higher valued-added wood products take effect.The mining and quarrying sector is expected to build on its 2009 performance with a projected growth rate of 4.2 percent. The bauxite industry is expected to recover with a 9.1 percent growth to 1.6 million tonnes as the operations of both bauxite companies are expected to be scaled up in response to some expected renewal in demand on the world market for aluminium.SpecificallocationsFor the security sector, spending of $14.9 billion has been budgeted for the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance and remodelling of facilities. This includes the rehabilitation and extension of the Brickdam lockups,<a href="http://