PNCR calls for emergency measures to alleviate rising cost of living

– follows Teixeira’s outline of governmental initiatives

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), while cognisant of global events that have resulted in a worldwide rise in the cost of living, wants to see emergency measures in Guyana to alleviate the burden on consumers locally.

During a press conference on Tuesday, PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton made the call for emergency measures to be implemented to address the cost of living. As he put it, inflation should be viewed as a crisis, to be dealt with urgently.
Norton was of the view that increasing the 2022 salaries of public servants and increasing the personal income tax threshold, among other things, would go some way in cushioning the effects of prices.
Additionally, he called for the $5 billion set aside by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government in the 2022 budget back in February, to immediately be put to use addressing inflation.
“Such emergency measures could include granting a market supplement to low-wage workers, expanding the school feeding programme to cover 2-3 nutritious meals a day, subsidising basic food items, such as flour, cooking oil, rice, and milk, and providing increased resources to families in the Public Assistance Programme,” Norton, whose party is the majority partner in A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), said.
Norton admitted that inflation cannot be addressed by only increasing income for people to cope since this can fuel inflation. According to him, measures must include ways of increasing the local food supply.
“Each region of this country should be food secured. The PNCR, therefore, calls on the Government to focus efforts on building agriculture across Guyana. Every region should have an agricultural programme that is aimed at achieving food self-sufficiency. In addition, buffer stocks arrangements could be put in place to deal with rising prices.”

“Additionally, we must pay special attention to small-scale farming, an important source of employment for many and a means of dealing with high food prices. Government must also address critical infrastructure needs that will help produce to get to the market,” Norton also said.
Another proposal the PNCR leader made was for the Government to expand the Rural Agricultural Infrastructure Development (RAID) Programme. This programme, according to Norton, targeted neglected farmlands, for example in the villages of Victoria, Buxton, and Golden Grove, in an effort to return them to agricultural viability.
On Monday, in an exclusive interview with this publication, Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira had said that the Cabinet is already examining various measures it can take to alleviate cost of living.
“It’s always discussed. We’re always keeping an eye on that and the Government has brought out measures, in terms of GPL and GWI. And it is looking at other measures for how it can reduce some of the costs borne by the public,” Teixeira had said.
“What we have to make sure, is what concessions are given. Say to the Private Sector or importers of fuel, that they are passing them on to the public. But we do know that all the inputs into food, even food grown here, would have an impact on the foods sold in the stores and shops.”
Teixeira had pointed out one of the Government’s initiatives, which was to have farmers’ markets to allow farmers to market their produce directly. She noted that other measures are still being examined by the Government.
The Minister had also sought to remind that the rising cost of living is a global phenomenon, made worse by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine, she pointed out, is among other things, a major producer of wheat.
“As you know, globally, this is happening everywhere. Even after COVID. COVID had an impact on cost of living around the world and we’ve actually kept our measures down, although we did have inflation.”
“If we didn’t have removal of tax, the draconian taxes for example, and some of the initiatives to do with shipping and freight and fuel, the situation would be much worse than it is now. Of course, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has exacerbated the issue.”
During an interview with this publication last week, two major Private Sector bodies – the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) – called for the temporary removal of the excise taxes on fuel and income taxes until the cost of living stabilises, as well as relief grants to citizens.