Dear Editor,
Whatever the real or imagined ills of our economy or plight of the poor are, the APNU+AFC, whether in Government or as the political Opposition, lack the intellectual fortitude, integrity, and moral standing to chastise Budget 2022 as was presented by the PPP/C Government.
Many individuals, families, small businesses and corporations were placed in dire constraints as a direct consequence of APNU+AFC’s mismanagement and corrupt handling of the economy, which benefited only a small group of super-wealthy businessmen, party officials, and loyalists, much to the displeasure of their core supporters, made up of predominantly Afro-Guyanese.
I viewed with disbelief the APNU+AFC’s theatrics during these budget debates as they championed a menu of socio-economic measures which they say are necessary for Guyanese to live a “good life”, but none of which they implemented while in office. One question which could not escape my thought was: “Are these people for real?” Never have I ever witnessed a group of people as profoundly dishonest and two-faced as the political Opposition during these budget debates.
By now most Guyanese ought to understand the nature of the beast that is the APNU+AFC. They are an uncaring group of people, who would say and do anything out of desperation. They have lost all relevance and connection with the Guyanese people in a nascent oil and gas economy. To this day, not a single individual of APNU+AFC could account for the US$18 million signing bonus received from ExxonMobil, but one thing is certain: this huge sum of money never made it to any national budget passed by the Granger Administration. So then, how was the US$18M spent? Surely, it is not in the pockets of “poor Guyanese”, or else we would be better off under an APNU+AFC Government.
It is hypocritical for the political Opposition to stand in Parliament, claiming to be arguing on behalf of the poor and vulnerable for increased wages and pensions and improved living standards, when they themselves, while in office, imposed a host of taxation measures ranging from VAT on water, electricity, education and medical services. It is also hypocritical for them to be doing so now, when they were the ones who stopped the Because We Care and School Uniform cash grants. Which categories of persons were impacted negatively by these actions of the APNU+AFC? Were they not the same persons on whose behalf the APNU+AFC now claim to be arguing?
To be fair, Budget 2022 was not intended to be an election year budget with the bells and whistles, and as such, it is easy for the political Opposition to chastise and make all sorts of promises to the people. It is easy for one to say give auntie $10M and give uncle $6M when they do not have to account for it. Fortunately for this country, President Ali exists in the real world, with real-world consequences should his administration mismanage our economy and resources in an APNU+AFC-like manner. So, therefore, we should remain steadfast and confident in the PPP/C Government, knowing that our freedoms are secure and our future has never been more promising.
The Ali administration and past PPP/C Governments have many times proven their ability to generate and equitably distribute wealth among the nation’s poorest and most vulnerable; to start-up and complete massive housing projects geared towards the provision of thousands of new homes; and to open new areas of opportunity and job creation in the ICT sector for the nation’s young people. All of these were accomplished in the absence of oil revenue or so-called ‘Oil Budget’.
It is clear that, under a PPP/C Government, we have moved forward as a nation without any revenue from the oil and gas sector.
Yours truly,
Anson Paul
