APNU/AFC betrayed, failed the trust of their constituents

Dear Editor,
The leadership members of the APNU/AFC Government have collectively been a very big disappointment to the average Guyanese. From the early days after they took office in 2015 to date, it is abundantly clear that they have focused on their own welfare and those of their close colleagues at the expense of most of the average Guyanese.
For instance, they had increased their own salaries by 50% within the first 6 weeks in office, whilst only offering to increase the salaries of public servants correspondingly by 5% in July 2015. They failed significantly to deliver their main campaign promises in their first 100 days in office, including the promise of phased reduction in Value Added Tax (VAT), but just a small reduction — from 16% to 14% — was realised in February of 2017, along with subsequent increases of VAT on zero-rated basic amenities such as water and electricity.
This incumbent APNU+AFC Government had made great promises to deliver long-term sustainable economic development that should have realised improved economic potential, but I have spoken directly to many average citizens throughout Guyana and they have unhesitatingly claimed that they are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table.
Economic struggles were mainly due to failure of Government policies, which resulted in lack of job creation in the main productive sectors, including sugar and mining industries; which was perpetuated by the shutting down of many of the sugar estates without viable alternatives, and increased taxation on essential machinery and equipment required for operations in the mining sector.
Further, this Government failed in their leadership to ensure reduction in the cost of electricity for sustainable energy-generation. The APNU/AFC Government had planned to implement a “Green Development Strategy” to lower electricity cost, which excluded the 165MW Amaila Falls Hydro Project (AFHP), again without any suitable alternatives which would have created lower electricity price and driven down the overall cost of production for the manufacturing sector in Guyana, in order to create the much needed economic growth and increase employment opportunities for our youths.
Overall, this incumbent Government betrayed and failed the trust of their constituents, whilst the ministers and their cabals, including friends and business associates, have benefited significantly in terms of their personal wealth enhancement.

Sincerely,
Sam Ramtahal