Minister of Natural Resource and the Environment Robert Persaud yesterday said that the government’s proposed budget brings “a pot of goodies” for the Guyanese people, while arguing that it would see the development of the natural resources sector to bring prosperity to all.
Persaud, the first government minister to speak on the second day of the budget debate, defended the government’s plans, saying that the budget, like the discovery of the country, represents the “El Dorado dream.”
“What this government has been doing and the measures contained in the 2013 budget will certainly reinforce the qualities and measures that will see our country developing our natural resources in a way to bring about prosperity for all our people,” he said.
Persaud added that when the performance of some of the sub-sectors within the natural resources sector is examined, it is clear that they are positioning themselves for growth.
He cited the record gold production last year of 438,645 ounces, which was the highest recorded in the history of the industry excluding Omai production. He added that this year’s projection of 451,000 ounces positions the sector for another record breaking production, which is clearly illustrative of growth.
He added that mining and quarrying contributed to 11% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and that gold is a significant contributor to the nation’s development. “This sector has brought about life to communities that have lost hope,” he declared.
He, however, triggered hostility from the opposition benches when he took a statement made during APNU MP Ronald Bulkan’s address out of context.
“In Georgetown, we see the thousands who on a daily basis depend on mining and mining-related activities and they are not all prostitutes as someone wants to suggest,” Persaud said, in reference to Bulkan’s speech.
This caused uproar among the opposition members, who demanded that he name the person who made such a claim. “Who want to suggest that?” and “Call the name! Say is who!” and “Don’t misquote and misrepresent people!” were some of the shouts that came from the opposition benches.
As a result, Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman interjected, saying that Bulkan did not mean that miners were prostitutes and that he knows for a fact that because of the gold boom, prostitution and trafficking in persons have increased. “It does breed and is breeding trafficking in persons and prostitution,” Trotman told the House to cheers and nodding of heads from opposition members.
Persaud opined that Guyana can “have the better of both worlds” since as natural resources are developed, benefits can be reaped from agreements, such as the forest pact with Norway. “We can be able to develop our natural resources and at the same time manage and preserve our environment, so much so that as a nation we have been able to earn USD$150M from environmental services off our rainforest to sound environmental management,” he said.
“We are one of the few countries so richly endowed in natural resources, where we have 88% of our land mass covered in tropical rainforest and at the same time manage our environment forest area. That also becomes a contributor to natural development,” he added.
He added that from its budgeted allocations, his ministry has been able to purchase and is now installing 14 mobile stations for monitoring of the mining industry and eight Guyana Geology and Mines Commission stations at different mining communities. He said it will also be employing an additional 125 persons for monitoring of the industry.
Persaud charged that so far the opposition has used the debate as a means of complaining about other issues outside of the budget. His comment prompted heckling from a member of the opposition ,who said “you and your family” and this was followed by a subsequent exchange between APNU MP Basil Williams and Persaud.
“You have a problem with my family? You have a problem with my family?” Persaud asked Williams, who in turn responded, “Yes.”
Speaker Trotman subsequently cautioned the House, telling members to not make any comment about any person’s family. “If a minister is speaking, let us remember, at all cost, avoid their children, their family… the family should be sacrosanct and away from this,” he said.
When he returned to his feet, Persaud said, “I am not embarrassed by my family… I am very proud of the people who surround me, my family and the PPP/C family,” triggering applause from fellow members of the governing party.
Persaud also charged the opposition to look at the budget as a document that is inclusive and not as a singular document, saying it should be seen in the context of the wider vision for future development and the well-being of all Guyanese and Guyana.
