By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Amid loud heckling and taunts, Former Housing Minister of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration, Irfaan Ali today started off the Budget 2015 debates, stating that the budget is lacking in several areas.
Ali, in his presentation to the National Assembly, said that the $221B budget by Finance Minister Winston Jordan has effectively taken food out of the mouths of hundreds of Guyanese.
“Budget 2015 has taken away thousands of jobs and over $1B from Amerindian villages…taken away more than $500M of direct subsidies to pensioners…the delayed the aspirations of Guyanese people for cheaper electricity,” said the PPP MP.
According to Ali, the budget fails to address the issues of investors’ confidence and some “retrenchment” in the bauxite industry.
“We hear of no reduction in electricity tariffs in Guyana…we ask this government to immediately review the reduction of electricity tariffs considering the reduction in gas prices,” said a passionate Ali, who shouted over the heckling throughout his presentation.
He also spoke of reduced investment in “almost every region except in region Four.” According to Ali, the APNU+AFC administration is now finding it hard to fulfill elections promises of higher prices and better markets for rice produce.
The PPP also wants the government to establish a National Paddy Price System and work towards the maintenance of rice production above 600,000 tonnes per annum. Ali contended that unlike the APNU+AFC, the PPP has always been a Party of its word.
“We are not a Party of false hopes and promises,” said the PPP MP. He said that the budget boasts “nothing fresh” since most of the projects therein were conceptualized by the PPP while it was in office.
Ali also said that the PPP is in support of a $100,000 minimum wage as was called for by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU). He also suggested a review of the salaries and pensions of teachers and nurses at which the government side of the House erupted in laughter.
The minimum wage currently stands at $50,000.
VERONICA BARBIERI , YUH STILL WITH THIS THIEFING STORY? WAN A DESE DAYS AH GON HEAR YUH DEH IN JAIL FOR THIEFING .
You are a joker…you protest too much let the record show who the wealthy people are in Guyana. I understand you are a die hard soupie, however you should resist selling yourself short of common sense. May I remind you the Pee Pee Pee does not own Guyana. And you keep telling yourself the election was rigged maybe that would let you sleep at night. West Dem..you are an idiot.
Amen to that Azd.!!
Why what is wrong with the truth.?..it is a bitter pill to swallow. The now government was not the corrupt one, what are you saying ? your comment does not make any sense. Nick please have something worth while to contribute, to this forum.
Good job Mr khan.Let these racist know we know our history and is aware of their rootless schemes.we need more of our people to represent us like u do.
the worst speaker of the Nat’l assembly I have ever seen!! Chair warmer
Only one point the PNCites can prattle about: corruption corruption….cant they come with some constructive idea????..
What do you expect to hear from a drunk?he cant even decide his right from left hand but he is incharge of our security,what a shame ,why is the speaker allowing such behavior in the assembly in the first place?these power drunk is digging their own graves,what a shame for a minister to behave like this .
O let me guess Jagdeo and Roger Khan was wrong to clean out the thieves from Buxton and other areas! I grew up in Guyana and migrated many years ago….my home used to be right next to Buxton village on the ECD….During the PNC time, we had so many loots, killings, robbery – Indians could not have step a foot in buxton during board day light before PPP took power! The owner of the ESSO gas station in BUXTON used to co-ordinate gangs to go and loot the indians! My best friends who were all blacks during high school – well educated fellows turn out to be gang thieves….I am not racist because all my friends here are black….but in Guyana, the AFRO need to start working and stop looting….have u been looking the news who are committing the crimes! Let me guess Granger is correct to pardon criminals without penalty? SICK! IN north america there is youth correctional centre because you dont want them to come back out and repeat the same crime without educating them. No Political party should be killing another race or suppressing them….but under PNC so many criminals had to go….and PPP did exactly that….what I am so shocked of, they did not JAIL Hamilton GREEN…..world biggest crook….for killing walter roodney and poisoning his first wife on her birthday and cremated her before 6PM…..to get rid of the evidence….since when you hear christian does cremate? He stated it was her wish….yea rite….just because he was in power at the time!
Ramjattan and Moses are the WORLD MOST un-educated politicians I have ever seen! A COMPLETE disgrace to Guyana! Did anyone listen to Ramjattan speech yesterday at the assembly? This guy cannot speak ENGLISH language….his behavior should not be tolerated! He should seek anger management classes to try are correct the loose screws in his brain….”I will jail all of AYU, thief thief thief”! What in the world is this – Parliament turn into borda market? LOL the APNU are jokes and will disgrace themselves so bad internationally, people will make cartoon jokes of them very soon!
Is it your opinion that only indo Guyanese can rule Guyana and if there is a coalition of both the indo members sold out. Who is the leader of the country you reside in I bet he is either black or white and you respect them but is SOOOOOO racist towards my home land. Guyana can be great again even with the current opposition, but people like you who perpetuate racism MUST BE SHUNNED. Country First
Well said. The country government and opposition need to move on. BE PROFESSIONAL WORK TOGETHER. FIND FAULT AND SHOW REASON AND SHOW CONSTRUCTIVE IDEA TO MOVE FORWARD. Everything can’t beof no and and point to the other one past. Move forward. Stop the bickering.
In fairness, a Code of Conduct was not mandatory. But what is the deal with Bulkan’s ‘flag for each Administrative Region’ project? The flags – design and colour – have already been determined, reportedly. Now how can this be right? Why were citizens not given the courtesy to firstly share their views on this unprecedented undertaking, and secondly to be involved in the design process? This is dictatorial at best. Not happy:-(
Your a party of uneducated illiterate thieves…your supporters swallow your false hopes and promises hook, line and sinker… Just look at how Irfaan has got obese of the fat of the land and the majority if the peasants still living in substandard homes way below the poverty line… No need to peddle your lies in defence of your corrupt ways, we already know what you are all about
what rock have you been under for the pass 23 years that’s just how the PPP acted when in power for the pass 23 years or maybe you have selective memory..by the way check out the British Parliament on youtube and check out other parliaments
Yes that’s what they do so well it’s call the Big Stick Method.
Do you know what’s one of the number one cause of crime ? marginalization . for 23 years the PPP government did that to the Afro Guyanese , we complain but it fell on deft ears , look how many blacks lost their jobs in 1992 after papa Cheddi took office , Rhoee right to say y’all have active memory/ short term memory , did you and your imam /pandit organize meetings when Roger Khan kill over 450 blacks ? did y’all keep meeting over Waddell death ?Courtney death ? what about Sawah death ? what about the Bacchus brothers ? you’re nothing but an Indian nationalist , cares to share where Jagdeo got his weath from ? because Rhoee tried to explained where bar rat wealth came from , he said it’s from saving ,what do you have to say about that ?
“We are not a Party of false hopes and promises” – Irfaan Ali
This is the first time I agree with anything Irfaan Ali (and by extension the PPP) says. Jagdeo, Irfaan and the PPP are in fact a party of thieves, crooks, bandits and liars.
You are so right.it’s the people who are suffering and not the politicians. They earn good money to live happy life while we are struggling.
Heckling is a force in the Canadian House of Commons. Traditionally, if you walk into Question Period, you walk into a wall of sound. Those in the gallery reach for the earpieces, not just to hear the proceedings translated to their preferred official language, but also to make it possible to discern anything at all in the din.
This APNU+AFC=PNC will never changed. They used the two idiot’s ( Naga & Jattan) to sneak back into Government then kicked them aside.
Indians who voted for this Coalation have been neglected. What is Granger doing for the other races in Guyana. The answer is “firing them all” and replacing them with incompetent Afro Guyanese.
While MP Ali was speaking there should have been no disrespect and heckling from the Government side. MP Ali is representing that 49% that voted solidly for the PPP/C.
Keep in mind that most Guyanese strongly believe that the May11th elections were fixed in favour of this Government.
It’s is indeed good news to see the PPP/C back in the house.
Well said.
I agree that there should be a code of conduct in Parliament, but you cannot expect it to suddenly happen after the last 23 years of autocratic rule in which the PPP listened to no one.
I fully agree with you with regards to establishing a code of conduct for MP’s.The code could be established indeed but unfortunately, it would be honoured in the breach mostly by those of this current administration. That’s what they are very good at. It doesn’t matter where they are, their behaviour leaves much to be desired. We have witness that sort of market type behaviour over the years in parliament when they were on the opposite side. That’s the kind of people you have to deal with and they call themselves ”representatives of the people”. They are setting no example for the general public.With all the heckling going on, what is the role of the speaker? He just sat in that chair like a dummy? Does he not understand the role of a speaker? If he can’t control those loud mouths whose disgraceful behaviour is an impediment to constructive debates in the highest office of the nation, then he should do the right thing and resign immediately instead of warming that chair.
I SUGGEST THE TWO OF YOU BE QUIET SINCE YOU KNOW NOTHING OF HOW PARLIAMENT WORKS. YOU WERE ALL QUIET FOR 23 YEARS YOU ARE ALL SO FUNNY, GOOD FOR COMIC RELIEF. AT LEAST BE THANKFUL NOW YOU HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND NO FEAR OF VICTIMIZATION, BEFORE THEY WOULD HAVE ALREADY FOUND OUT WHERE YOU WERE POSTING FROM. SUCH HYPOCRITES.
The members of the opposition and Government are in parliament to represent the people of the country. As such when there is a debate process such as the one currently on the national budget all members must pay attention and allow the presenters to do so without distractions or interruptions. Everyone MUST conduct themselves in a respectable, responsible and most of all in a professional manner. There must be an establish code of conduct how each member of parliament must behave. This behavior of heckling and distruptive behavior MUST cease and not be tolerated and anyone that violates the code of conduct in parliament must be sanctioned or be dismissed as a parliamentarian. President Granger, Former President Jagdeo and Speaker of the house should and must establish an expected code of conduct for all parliamentarians and to enforce it. This gutter behavior has no place in the parliament. It is disrespectful to people of the country.
No wonder Guyanese around the world are not respected! What a bunch of stupids, un-professional, lack of ethical conducts humans I have ever seen! Why would you all be laughing, taking while someone else is speaking? This is the most dis-respected government figures representing Guyana I have ever seen. Instead of them working to seek the better for the local people, their EGOs are so big, it is taking their heads to mars for a tour! Haroon, Moses and Granger head on the Titanic and Guyana is heading to the bottom of the Ocean! Lets not forget Jagan never promoted Moses because his education is low, lets not forget Jagdeo is so wealthy he does not need to be in a third world country representing his people….yet he choose to live there instead of his mansion in Florida! The people in North America who supported the APNU are now thinking twice based on their actions….Many are observing what they are doing with the Indians…firing ALL of them- The claim the PPP speak of Racism, but their actions are worst….The donated 3 millions to the AFRO community….What happen to the Indians? Typical PNC is back in power, the Indians will have to migrate again….Since APNU took power, they have created zero jobs, they have increase the dollar value by zero penny….all they do is make spotlight on social Media pointing out the PPP faults….who cares…they local people wants to see development…they want to see crime rate go down….not doubled! The want to come out of poverty. I initially supported the APNU but now we are hosting meetings at mosques, temples and churches in Toronto to stop supporting them, we will also be conducting similar in the States using public figures such as Imam, pandits and priests to condemn their actions..Both parties need to respect each other and work for the people….not them selves, ego or pockets……