Dear Editor,
From the moment the Government announced that it will be moving ahead with the reintroduction of the “Because We Care” and School Uniform cash grants, the Opposition APNU+AFC began peddling all sorts of ridiculous narratives, as they opposed it, especially on social media.
Just recently, Aubrey Norton wrote an epistle criticising this initiative. Norton contends that the reintroduction of the cash grant should be rejected by all Guyanese, as it is a “slap in the face”, and is not sufficient. He forgets that it was his government that denied these kids close to $1.8B annually when it stopped this initiative upon assuming office in 2015. In my opinion, the amounts of $15,000 plus $4,000 may not be anything substantial to Norton and his cohorts, who are accustomed to raking in the hundreds of thousands every month. But, for the ordinary Guyanese, $19,000 will definitely go a long way.
I would like to point out that in the January 30, 2020 publication of the Guyana Chronicle, there was an article which was headlined “President promises cash grants for families with school children”. This article reported on the promises made by the then President David Granger, as he addressed residents of Region 2. Granger’s exact words were “We will put oil money in your homes and households…we will ensure that every family with a child in school gets a cash grant…the money will come to you”.
I find it so amusing that the entire coalition has banded together in opposition to this initiative when they themselves had promised the same to Guyanese while campaigning for re-election in 2020. In this regard, I think the only logical conclusion that can be made is that the APNU+AFC is opposing just for the sake of opposing. They have no actual reason to be against it, since it is geared at benefiting every single child in the public school system.
Why would they be so hell-bent on taking away such provisions from the Guyanese people? I personally call on all Guyanese to reject these efforts that are being made by the hypocrites of the Coalition to hinder development and progress in Guyana.
Respectfully,
Anson A Paul
