The “blame Jagdeo and the PPP” syndrome (Pt 1)

Dear Editor,
After two and a half years into this APNU/AFC Administration, the People’s Progressive Party is still being blamed for everything that goes wrong in Guyana.
During the run-up to the 2015 general and regional elections, Guyanese were asked to vote for the Coalition, because they would fix everything that was wrong with the country. The APNU/AFC campaigned on getting rid of corruption and restoring accountability and transparency. They promised to improve the economy and to create jobs for our young people. They also promised to reduce crime and to get rid of the drugs’ trade. But most importantly, they promised every Guyanese the “good life”.
They have failed miserably.
In his address to the National Assembly a year ago, President Granger said his Administration “entered a depressing financial landscape in May 2015… Economic mismanagement was accompanied by huge debts for unpaid international obligations and court judgements.” He added that the absence of a policy to provide employment opportunities for youth and to reduce extreme poverty, and the failure to energise the manufacturing sector helped to weaken the economy (Guyana Times, October 14, 2016).
But compared to the bankrupt economy the PPP inherited from his party, the PNC, in 1992, the APNU/AFC inherited US0 million (G4 billion) in foreign exchange reserves from the PPP/C in May of 2015 (source: the GlobalEconomy.com). This amount is in addition to the approximately 0 billion this Government inherited in recurring revenues, and the billion from semi-autonomous agencies. In addition, Granger inherited an economy with the lowest debt payment in the entire Caribbean, only 4 per cent, as compared to 153 per cent of revenue that went to service foreign debt in 1992.
The new Government inherited an economy that was growing on an average of 4.5 per cent for the preceding eight years.
Our President was being less than truthful in his address when he claimed to have inherited a “depressing financial landscape”. For, in fact, the APNU+AFC inherited a buoyant economy, good international reserves, a big revenue base, small debt-servicing, and an inflow of foreign direct investments of about US0 million a year, with ExxonMobil spending hundreds of millions already; and from the two new gold mines that have already started large scale production. The APNU+AFC coalition is yet to attract a single foreign investor.
The economic crisis facing the nation and all Guyanese has nothing to do with the PPP. It is the economic mismanagement of the Granger Administration, led by runaway spending, which is responsible.
Is the PPP responsible for the 50% pay raise Granger approved for his ministers? Did the PPP increase the amount of Government ministers from 17 under the Ramotar Administration to the 26 ministers now in Government?
Is the PPP responsible for setting up new ministries as an astronomical financial burden to the Guyanese taxpayers? And could anyone in their right mind hold the PPP responsible for paying between 0,000 and .5 million for house rentals to accommodate Ministers, and .5 million to rent a drug bond from a PNC financier?
But this “blame Jagdeo and the PPP” syndrome is not only propagated by the Government, it is aided and abetted by a few Jagdeo-haters, the likes of Dr David Hinds, Dr Eric Phillips, Lincoln Lewis, Freddie Kissoon and Adam Harris, all of whom have their own ax to grind with the former President and the People’s Progressive Party.
You would never hear them giving credit to Jagdeo and the PPP for all the good done for Guyana and the Guyanese people.

Sincerely,
Harry Gill
PPP/C Member of
Parliament