Vision Guyana Chairman Peter Ramsaroop said he is disappointed at the blatant discriminatory act by the government in continuing to withhold funds from the Critchlow Labour College (CLC).
“The fact that they have now excluded it from the 2008 budget shows their permanent intention to force the college to close,” a press release from Vision Guyana said.
It vowed to expose these acts of discrimination internationally. It said both local and international communities must be informed of these discriminatory acts “to anyone that does not support the failed policies of the government.”
Ramsaroop said two years ago he was the keynote speaker at the college’s graduation and was very impressed by the hundreds of graduates. He also said that he has assisted many graduates in finding employment and to further their education and called for the immediate release of the money to operate the college.
The group also said it is concerned about unemployment in the country and the increasing narco-trade and underground economy. It added that “to deny our young people a chance to better themselves should be considered a criminal act by the current government” and it plans to undertake a major public relations campaign to inform citizens of the implications for youth who lack the proper education to participate in development.
Meanwhile, Vision Guyana said it is also concerned about the current destruction of property at Buxton and the harassment of its villagers.
Vision Guyana said it will continue to lobby for an economic stimulus plan that puts money back into the hands of the citizens.
It called for the 2008 budget to be modified to include VAT tax rebate cheques to all tax-paying citizens from $10,000 – $12,000 in order to demonstrate that the per cent of VAT was inconsistent with reality. The group said it has always advocated for VAT to be charged at 7% “which will reflect the exact amount the government had budgeted for tax collection from this source”.