Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo has pledged that should the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) return to Government after the September 1, 2025, General and Regional Elections, no new taxes will be implemented during the party’s next five-year term in Government.
Delivering the feature address at a public meeting in Meten-Meer-Zorg on the West Coast of Demerara, Jagdeo reaffirmed the party’s commitment made in the 2020 campaign. He stressed that the PPP/C has honoured their promise by reversing more than 200 new taxes introduced under the APNU/AFC administration and placing no new tax burdens on citizens since taking office.
“We promise in 2020 that we will not put any new taxes on people. In the five years under the PPP/C, there have been no new taxes. That was a major achievement, and we are saying in the next five years there will be no new taxes on people,” he declared to the swarm of supporters.
According to Dr Jagdeo, the PPP intends to continue with no new taxes in the next five-year period while working closely with Guyanese to ensure families keep more of their earnings.
“We want people who work harder to keep more of their money by having fewer taxes collected by the Government. We made it clear that we will continue to do this to support families, etc. That is what you can expect from us; you can expect for us to work with the people of the country. Every group of Guyanese will continue to get support to prosper. The business community can expand and create more jobs and keep more of the money that they earn, and so too will the poor people,” he said.
According to the VP, APNU/AFC’s implementation of dozens of new taxes weighed heavily on every sector, from farmers and miners to pensioners and small businesses.
He reminded them that taxes reversed under the PPP/C Government included VAT on water and electricity, freight surcharge adjustments, duties on farming and mining equipment, and corporate taxes on healthcare and education.
Meanwhile, he was reminded of the PPP’s bold vision for Region Three.
“From Vreed en Hoop all the way to Wales will change. Our plans are well laid out,” he declared.
He emphasised that development would be visible across the region, supporting families, businesses, and communities.
The VP and PPP General Secretary told the crowd of the PPP’s plans for sweeping transformations in Region Three as well as all across the country, including infrastructure upgrades, enhanced community services, a planned high-span bridge across the Berbice River, and the establishment of industrial zones across communities, among other projects.
“We are a party that does not only think for and plan for today. We are a party that thinks about today and plans for the future – and that is what differentiates us from every other political party in this country. Your children’s and your own future will be prosperous and secure once the PPP is in office. We will rise to every challenge, and we will find solutions that are in line with the aspirations of our people,” Jagdeo said.
He reiterated the PPP’s commitments to reduce the cost of living for Guyanese, including establishing a national development bank to offer zero interest loans to small and medium-sized enterprises, expanding school feeding programmes, establishing transportation grants for children, providing housing assistance, and providing broader support for single parents and vulnerable households.
“I can talk a lot about what we did, but tonight I want to talk about the future too. What we are yet to do. We have to look to the next five years and come back to the things that we have not done as yet, and there are many things that we still need to do,” Dr Jagdeo said.
He called on voters to judge the party by its track record of fulfilled promises and visible progress.
According to Jagdeo, when the PPP took office in 2020, citizens lacked optimism and opportunities were shrinking, but the PPP/C has since renewed hope, he said.
