Dear Editor,
The Opposition APNU/AFC needs to “explicitly” recognise and acknowledge the legitimacy of the PPP/C Administration, and stop creating false hope in the minds of their support base.
The question asked by many is: “How long will the Opposition APNU-AFC continue on this path, and deny themselves the truth and sell their narrative that is hopeless and filled with falsehood?
Our President’s vision is to have a Guyana that is better for the Opposition, media, sugar workers, Public Servants and every Guyanese.
This was evident during a recent comprehensive presentation on Guyana’s development agenda that pointed to key strategies to diminish disparity among the Guyanese people as President Ali delivered the keynote address to the Harvard Business School at a virtual faculty workshop on the microeconomics of competitiveness, when he was adamant that all Guyanese would benefit from our country’s impending prosperity. He outlined essential and indispensable aspects of the PPP/C Government’s agenda that would transform Guyana into a more equitable society, one in which every Guyanese – irrespective of their ethnic/religious/political affiliations, or the region in which they live, or their background – would have an equal opportunity and stake in the development of our country.
As stated by our President, in order to achieve this plan, which will see prosperity for all, it is absolutely necessary to have the correct framework for development. The need to build Guyana’s human capacity through universal education was noted by the President as a centerpiece of personal empowerment.
It is clear to all that the People’s Progressive Party /Civic Government would ensure that every young Guyanese benefits from primary and secondary education by supporting attendance at school through a free uniform programme, a free feeding programme for at-risk students, and transportation allowance.
Efforts are also in place to remove the gap in the quality of education between urban and rural areas, and to improve access to tertiary-level education.
The PPP/C Government is hoping before the next three years to have free university education for Guyanese. This is a Government that has already launched its 20,000-scholarship programme with more than 6000 students studying at various universities around the world through distance and online education.
The President said that the Government of Guyana is also looking to build an oil-and- gas institute. Outside of education, emphasis will be placed on delivering world-class health care to all Guyanese through a modern public healthcare system.
“Our people must be able to enjoy world-class primary health care,” he said.
Housing was also noted as key to overall development. The President described the housing initiative, which has been prolific, as an “aggressive programme” that gives direct benefit to homeownership.
The Opposition must be aware that Guyana will be rolling out a $700M hinterland housing programme in 2022. This, combined with the Private Sector initiative to develop $800 Jagville Housing Scheme. Additionally, the President noted that it is imperative to put measures in place to protect the vulnerable by strengthening the country’s social safety nets.
Only recently, Guyana was recognised by the World Bank as having one of the broadest cash support systems for vulnerable and at-risk people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another example of strengthening Guyana’s network is the progressive increase in old-age pension; the development of specialised programmes for persons living with disabilities, including specialised training with a view to having them engaging in meaningful economic activities.
All these initiatives represent just a sample of the kind of policies and programmes our PPP/C Government is aggressively pursuing in order to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society have an opportunity to lift themselves out of unfortunate circumstances.
The time has arrived for the Opposition Leader to do the “right thing” and desist from pushing the false narrative and trying to derail development in this country, which is being circulated on social media platforms and other fora.
What is also important to note is that Guyana is also working diligently on a regional approach to food security. Guyana is looking to enhance the Regional Community. It is very clear to all that our prosperity will be shared with the region, and that the region will benefit from a stronger Guyana in the near future.
Sincerely,
David Adams
