Declaring that the people of the country were not getting enough from the country’s oil revenues, PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton on Saturday said that the party must embrace the policy of wealth creation and he pledged the development of a meritocracy in the public service.
In his first address to the General Council of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) since he was elected leader last December, Norton homed in on wealth creation.
He said that the governing PPP/C had been boasting of Gross Domestic Product figures but not how the ordinary Guyanese person is faring.
“Our focus must be about facilitating wealth creation by ordinary Guyanese. The PNCR must embrace the policy of wealth creation, and not only facilitate small business and micro enterprises, but also giving tangible support through grants and training. This will reduce the gap between the richest 1% of Guyanese and the rest of the country. It will promote equity in the development of Guyana. It will promote the development of sustainable villages, and village economies and narrow the gap between rural and urban areas. We believe our people are getting too little from our oil revenue. We will ensure a much larger percentage of our oil revenue goes back to our people. While we want foreign investors to earn based on their investment, our people must benefit as well from the oil and gas sector. The PNCR will do everything to increase the benefits to our people from the oil and gas sector”, he told the meeting.
Norton also said that the party will be pursuing a people-centred development strategy.
“We will focus on improving the quality of life of the poor; the disadvantaged, the elderly, single parents, small farmers, the vulnerable, youth, women and we will promote micro and small business development. We will promote and utilise the Minimum Livable Income as a means of reducing poverty and ensuring Guyanese have livable wages and salaries. Our people deserve nothing less. At the same time, we need to strengthen our social security and social assistance programmes to ensure poverty alleviation and ensure a quality life for our senior citizens”, he stated.
Norton, who has been waiting for months to enter parliament and be elected Opposition Leader, also pledged a meritocracy in the public service free of political affiliation.
“We also need to develop a strong and professional public service that can service a modern Guyana with a modern economy. The task devolves on us to develop a meritocracy and move away from the present approach in which Party affiliation is the basis of employment and promotion. The present system suits the present government, but it stifles Guyana’s development”, he said.
In the introduction to his address Norton thanked former PNCR Leader David Granger and all those who contributed to the party during his tenure.
“We wish you well in your future endeavours as we express our desire to benefit from your rich experience as Leader of our Party”, he said.
The PNCR has been trying to have Granger give over his role as Representative of the APNU+AFC list to Norton as the holder of this position performs a key role in any amendments to the parliamentary line-up. This is what has delayed Norton’s entry to Parliament as Granger has shown no interest in seeking to change the composition of the parliamentary list which he had shaped following the declaration of the results last year. Granger had left off senior party officials including Norton from the parliamentary list. Two APNU+AFC MPs: Nicolette Henry and Joseph Harmon have since resigned but there is no official word on what moves Granger has made to fill the vacancies.
In the economy envisaged for Guyana, Norton said that there will be no shortage of jobs.
“In fact, we foresee the need to import labour from Caricom countries. However, we must commit to ensuring quality jobs are created; jobs that provide living wages. Salary must allow workers to provide for their families, enjoy recreation and leisure such as vacations, and accumulate assets. Action needs to be taken to ensure Guyanese workers in the oil and gas sector; in fact all Guyanese are paid livable wages and salaries”, he told his audience.
The PNCR Leader also addressed the education sector saying it must be world-class.
“Every school child in Guyana must have the right to a smart classroom and teachers equipped to function in such an environment. This will enhance the teaching and learning process for both teachers and students by incorporating audio, video, animation, images, and multimedia. The system must produce graduates who are equipped to function in a modern economy, since ours will be a modern economy”, he stated.
To ensure the retention of quality teachers, Norton said that the party would ensure “attractive salary and benefit packages”. He said that a government that the PNCR is part of must engage the Guyana Teachers’ Union on a framework for the “drastic improvement” of the lives of teachers.
Norton also said that adult education would be a major component of the PNCR’s programme.
“It must be more than literacy classes. It must include a network of night schools to facilitate those who did not matriculate being able to return to school. The goal must be to equip every Guyanese with skills and expertise so that they could meaningfully contribute to a dynamic economy”, the PNCR Leader contended.
He vowed that a new coalition government of which the PNCR is a part will ensure parliament functions as it should.
“We will establish (a) civil rights unit in every government ministry and agency. These units will have the right to investigate all complaints of discrimination, be it ethnic, gender or sexual orientation. We will professionalise the Guyana Police Force by enacting legislation which will insulate its leadership from political manipulation. The law will follow its course, and whoever commits crime will be subjected to the full process of the law”, he said.
He also said that the civil rights units will contribute to bolstering social cohesion and race relations.
“However, we will have to do more. I believe a new coalition government must examine the issue of shared governance. In a shared governance framework, we could overhaul the systems and processes of government, not only to make it more efficient and effective, but also reduce the ability of government to act capriciously against citizens”, Norton offered.
