Dear Editor,Government people, as is expected, have defended the budget as a plan for growth. A large chunk of the budget is deficit financed; US$2.6 billion (over half a trillion). The Vice President (Jagdeo), the President, and the Finance Minister would have paid careful attention to the deficit and borrowing; Jagdeo is smart when it comes to borrowing to grow the economy, generating revenues and creating jobs. Interest payments are climbing rapidly; we have to take cognizance of what happened prior to 1992 and curtail borrowing. Instead of foreign (high interest) borrowing, borrow from local sources and encourage foreign currency accounts from the diaspora in our local banks from which we can borrow.