The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Monday said it has written to Minis-ter of Finance Winston Jordan advising that its contribution to the soon to be presented national budget should include the new administration’s 100-day plan that it had set out to be accomplished on its accession to office.
General Secretary of the party Clement Rohee told reporters that following a meeting with Jordan last Friday, the PPP wrote the minister indicating that its contribution to the 2015 estimates is for the inclusion of the 100-day plan and also sections of the PPP’s elections manifesto, which includes undertakings to respond to the issues affecting the rice, sugar, mining and other sectors. Attached to the letter sent to Minister Jordan on July 24th was a copy of the APNU+AFC 100-day plan and the section of the PPP’s manifesto which deals with economic development.
In its manifesto for the May 11th polls, the first promise made in the APNU+AFC 100-day plan was the reduction of the Berbice River Bridge toll. Government workers were also promised salary increases while Guyanese have also been assured that the 16% Value Added Tax (VAT) would be reduced and the tax removed from food and other essential items.
After Friday’s meeting, the PPP, in a press release, said that during the meeting it drew to the minister’s attention the “everyday violation of the rules and regulations pertaining to public expenditure management.”
Rohee led the delegation to the meeting that included former ministers Juan Edghill, Pauline Sukhai and Robeson Benn,
Meanwhile, at Mon-day’s press conference Rohee once more complained about what he called the extravagant spending of the new government, which he accused of using millions of taxpayers’ dollars to make state houses comfortable for the upper bureaucratic-class officials.
“But it’s these very houses which PPP officials occupied … temporary or otherwise for 23 years without a single complaint. The PPP while in power conserved upon state resources by choosing not to waste taxpayers’ money on fancying up state houses,” Rohee said, while claiming that it demonstrated the value of the party as against the big shots in the new government.
He said what mattered most was the work the party was doing while in government whereas what matters to the members of the new government is the luxurious conditions under which they need to live and not the work they were elected to do.
He also spoke about the government’s spending to send ministers overseas for a celebration of the government’s victory, for the inauguration of President David Granger and also for the president’s birthday celebration.
The government had repeatedly said that no state funds were used for any of the celebrations mentioned by Rohee and when this was pointed out to him he questioned if everything the government says has to be believed.
Rohee also did not see the relevance of pointing out that government officials under the PPP/C administration drove around in fancy vehicles and used millions to fix their teeth.
