Ali presidency continues PPP/C’s traditional ‘people empowerment’ administrative blueprint

Dear Editor,
The state of the country under every PNC-led Government was devastation, destruction, and a decimation of the socio-economic dynamics and infrastructural landscape.
Conversely, under every PPP/PPPC administration, social development, economic growth, and infrastructural advancements were near-miraculous phenomena.
Over the decades of advanced development in the country under PPP/C governments, many of the older generation and contemporary society had either forgotten what existence under a PNC Government was like; or responded to the usual racist ‘kith and kin’ narratives of PNC political elements. As a consequence, many Guyanese citizens – even PPP/C supporters – are convinced that the PNC-led coalition accession to Government in 2015 was an eye-opener and a blessing in disguise for the country; as citizens were enabled a comparison of administrative capabilities between both major political constructs.
This writer happened upon Dr. Ashni Singh’s 2013 Budget speech, and marvelled at how swiftly the Coalition Government had decimated and reversed all the socio-economic gains of the PPP/C administration within five short years, beginning from days after they had attained power.
PPPC’S budgets were always reflective of Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s mantra – development with a human face – and headlines after Dr. Singh delivered his Budget speech in 2013 read “Nation’s Education receives largest allocation: …as Guyana’s economy maintains positive growth for seventh consecutive year.”
The report continued “Guyana’s economy has, for the seventh consecutive year, achieved growth and is poised in the coming year, based on initial projections, to continue on its trajectory with the Gold and Rice sectors leading the way. This information was reported to a packed National Assembly, yesterday, as Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, in presenting the nation’s expenditure for the coming year, reported on the performance of the various sectors in the completed financial year.
“This year’s budget has been presented under the theme ‘Overcoming challenges together, accelerating gains for Guyana’ and saw Guyana achieving growth of 4.8 percent, even as the growth in the Caribbean and Latin American region borders on three percent. Dr. Singh said it is important to note that if the performance of the sugar industry isn’t reflected in the overall growth experienced, it would in fact be recorded at six percent… The non-traditional agriculture sectors grew by 5.3 percent, which the minister credited with improved weather and better access to market.”
Dr Singh, in a marathon session to Parliament, acknowledged that Government’s position on the sugar industry is clear and unequivocal: “The industry is still of sufficient systemic importance to the national economy and to the livelihoods of so many rural communities, and has such deep forward and backward linkages with suppliers and distributors nationwide that no effort must be spared to ensure its long-term viability, competitiveness, and profitability.
“He noted that over the years, Government has injected a total of $39.5 billion to recapitalise the industry and to support its operations. As recent as last year, Government provided a transfer of $4 billion to ensure that GUYSUCO was able to meet its financing requirements.
“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that, this year, in support of the company’s plans to modernise the industry, Budget 2013 provides an amount of $1 billion to be transferred by Government to GUYSUCO to help the company meet the financing requirements of its transformation plans,” Dr. Singh announced.
He argued that this support by the Government to the sugar industry will redound to the benefit of the industry’s 18,000 workers, their families, and suppliers of goods and services to the company, and asserted that, together, more than 120,000 persons will benefit directly or indirectly.
He posited that Budget 2013 reflected Government’s commitment that had been outlined in the previous budget, and warned that the nation must be cognisant of the external factors, such as the global financial realities, coupled with Climate Change, among other factors that pose significant challenges to the local gains made. Dr. Singh, in that presentation, reeled out the plethora of gains and achievements of the PPP/C Government of every sector, which continued the momentum of a skyrocketing trajectory; until 2015, when tsunami PNC took the lead in governance, when Guyana’s developmental paradigm rapidly plummeted in a downward spiral.
The current PPP/C Government, under the Presidency of HE Dr. Irfaan Ali, has continued the PPP/C’s traditional administrative blueprint, which positions people empowerment at the forefront of national development; and the citizens nationwide are responding to the positivity and eschewing the racist rants and divisive narratives of the Opposition collective.

Yours truly,
Brian Azore