Bad decisions by APNU/AFC forced Berbice into poverty – President

A ten-second announcement by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) while in Government sent Berbice into poverty.
President Dr Irfaan Ali while addressing Berbicians at the launch of the Berbice Stadium at Palmyra on Friday said those were the worst ten seconds for the region but noted that there were other short portions that also impacted negatively on the region.
He pointed out that 18,000 households were affected by 10 seconds of decision-making by the then Government.
“One announcement – we are closing the sugar industry. Ten seconds sent this entire region into poverty. I say the entire region because those who sell at the markets knew what happened to them when those jobs were lost. Ten seconds of their five years destroyed completely the economy of Region Six,” Ali pointed out.
Additionally, he noted that a further five seconds of the coalition’s term in Government took away money from school children which were given to them by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government during its previous term in office.
Some 24,920 school children in the Berbice region were affected while 6878 students lost nutrition when the school feeding programme was stopped by APNU/AFC.
For farmers, he said the devastation was swifter, lasting only one second.
“I timed it in the budget speech. In one second, they imposed billions of dollars of taxes on the farmers in this region. New licence fees, rental fees, water rate fees, and lease fees. In one second, they added $10 billion on the backs of farmers.”
The current Administration has since reversed those taxes which were increased and imposed by APNU/AFC.
Additionally, the PPP Administration has provided assistance to farmers in the region by providing flood relief, and developing infrastructure and fertiliser to assist them.
Meanwhile, President Ali cautioned people not to come in the way of development. He said there are some who deliberately seek to prevent persons from having the opportunity to equally benefit from the opportunities being offered in Guyana.
Referring to some as naysayers, President Ali said they should be truthful to themselves.
“If you have a political ambition, announce it and come into the arena. Don’t hide under different faces. You must be honest to tell people what your true intentions are. This Government believes in that. That is why in our manifesto we said what our comment would be to rice, sugar and the cattle industry – we said how we were going to bring back agriculture, how we would save the farmers, and every single one of our commitments we have stayed to,” President Ali re-emphasised. (G4)