Dear Editor,
Aubrey Norton wants Guyanese to ‘suck salt’ is how Minister Kwame McCoy puts it, and I add ‘to go back ‘sucking salt’ as it was in the pre-1992 era. So, I must concur with the Minister that “If’ Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton were to have his way, Guyana would indeed take a steep plunge into economic ruin.” I think that Norton is ‘out of his mind’ and not just out of his league. I mean the Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration “… sound national transformation agenda…” is proving great dividends, and this is coming from no other but the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where the organisation stated that “Guyana’s economy remains resilient in the face of global economic tensions, and is on track for 47.2% growth by year-end.”
And this is almost fully corroborated by the World Bank, where its figure is only a slight variation, standing at 47.9%. And as for the immediate future, the World Bank is projecting a growth of 34.3% in 2023 for Guyana. So, I am forced to ask Mr. Norton what is really wrong with him. Let me remind, Editor, that even though Guyana’s economic growth is revolving around the development of a nascent oil and gas sector, and spin-off developments, the overall ascendency is not limited therein alone. As the record shows, the non-oil economy is also expected to continue registering strong growth, projected at 7.7% in 2022, and driven mainly by rebounds in rice growing and gold mining, and continued expansion in construction activity and wholesale and retail trade and repairs. The rice sector is also expected to expand by 25.1% in 2022, the gold mining sub-sector by 12.2% and construction by 10.5%.
Then outside of the actual financial predictions, I add that Guyana’s current ongoing development was well planned. It is not a ‘fly-by-night’ fluke happening. For example, where education is concerned, in the 2022 National Budget, some $74.4 billion dollars was allocated to improving access to education and education delivery. This allocation is a 22.6 per cent increase from 2021, and accounts for 13.5 per cent of the overall $552.9 billion 2022 budget. What have Guyanese reaped so far? The increase of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant from $15,000 to $25,000 for each school child. Parents also received an extra $1,000 on the $4,000 school uniform voucher which is distributed annually. These two sets of increases allowed for an additional $2.2 billion in disposable income into the pockets of parents.
How about things like the $1.2 billion for the purchase of textbooks for public school learners, the over $20 million for the purchase of 2,000 micro-science kits, the $3.5 billion for the University of Guyana (UG), the $1.3 billion for an additional 4,500 scholarships under the Guyana Online Learning Academy (GOAL) programme, the $2 billion for the National School Feeding Programme, which is benefitting a total of 85,773 learners across 902 nursery and primary schools, and the $6.6 billion for the construction, rehabilitation, extension, and maintenance of educational facilities. I rest my case.
I note that in the first half of 2022, the Government expended $8.1 billion of the $12.4 billion allocated to further develop the housing sector, and what do we have now? I will only offer a snippet. Approximately 10 kilometres of roads were upgraded in existing housing areas at Uitvlugt, Belle West, La Parfaite Harmonie, Herstelling, Ordinance Fortlands, Bath, Balthyock, Good Hope, Mon Repos, Section D Non Pariel, Tuschen and Onderneeming. Additionally, 750 LED streetlamps were installed across the country during the first half of the year. Then there is the installation of electricity and distribution networks at 12 housing areas in Regions 3, 4 and 6, with similar works in 14 new housing areas slated for the second half of the year. I add that infrastructural works are ongoing in housing areas in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10.
In fact, its half- year report, the Ministry of Finance revealed that CH&PA completed works on 25 core homes at La Parfaite Harmonie, while another 25 are slated for construction by the end of the year. To date we have the completed construction for 100 low-income homes at Hampshire/Williamsburg, 150 moderate-income homes at Cummings Lodge, and 125 houses for young professionals at Providence and Prospect, and all of these within the first half of the year. In fact, the CH&PA distributed 1,843 house lots during the first six months of the year, taking the total allocation to 11,680 lots since August 2020. Therefore, it is a non-argument and so it is quite silly to pay attention to Aubrey Norton.
The unfolding of “…Budget 2022 continues and properly evidences the PPP’s strategy for the country.” In terms of a higher standard of living, better services and improving quality of life, “The PPP/ C’s desire and intention for the country… is to make sure every single sector, every single person who interacts with the sector, which means every citizen benefit in some way…” and this is quite obvious. To Aubrey Norton and his little league, I say gone are the days ‘sucking salt.’ The PPP/C will ensure no negative recidivism. The unfolding from the Government must continue.
Sincerely,
H. Singh
