Dear Editor,
Comments made by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan in East Canje earlier this month (circulated on YouTube), merit a response, for the simple reason that Minister Ramjattan persists in peddling more misrepresentations about various issues.
Mr Ramjattan misleads when he insists that from 2005 to 2014, the European Union (EU) gave Guyana “every year” $20M euros as support for mechanization and other undertakings in the sugar sector. Editor, the fact is that Guyana received some $34.8B from the EU. This fact was the subject of some debate in July 2017 when the coalition government, in error (or by design) claimed that the EU gave Guyana $348B. The correct figure of $34.8B was given by the EU last year.
Mr Ramjattan misleads when he insists that US$200M was spent on the Skeldon Factory. Editor, it was President David Granger’s address to the National Assembly, on January 10, 2018, which made clear that the cost of the Skeldon Factor was US$121M. Even the US$121M (about $24.2B) spent on the Skeldon Factory is less than the $34.8B collected from the EU in budget support.
Mr Ramjattan misleads when he insists that other factories were ignored. Editor, the investments in the other sugar estates are clearly documented as a matter of
public record.
It is interesting that even as he rambles about what was not done to support the sugar sector under the PPP/C administration, he acknowledges, albeit tangentially, that the APNU+AFC coalition promised the Guyanese that a new government would not close sugar. Again, Mr Ramjattan misleads about this promise, as he insists that the sector is not being closed, but is being “right sized” – the coalition government’s new favourite phrase.
Lastly, Editor, one alarming comment made in East Canje was Mr Ramjattan’s confident declaration that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) would rule in favour of the Basil Williams-led team, in the case of the presidential term-limit challenge. Editor, such comments about the CCJ can only be treated as being misleading.
Mr Ramjattan has distinguished himself as the PNC-led government’s puppet, being used to address communities that are stronghold support areas of the PPP/C. Ramjattan uses sophistry in his attempt to make a case for the coalition government. However, his ramblings are seen as false and the Guyanese people will not fall prey to lies.
Yours faithfully,
Zulfikar Mustapha
Executive Secretary
PPP
