Dear Editor,
The August 24, 2024 issue of “Stabroek News” reported that the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton “vouched that if his party was returned to government he would ensure that public servants receive a minimum of 35% increase…” On October 7, 2024 the Kaieteur News reported that the AFC, not to be out done promised to give teachers a 45% increase if they are ever returned to government. Workers by now should recognise that those two parties always make grand promises whenever they are in opposition but promptly renege on them once in office.
Recall that in the 2011 and 2015 elections those parties promised sugar workers 20% increase in pay. They also promised the workers that they would not close any sugar estate if elected. The reality is that those people did the very opposite. They never gave the sugar workers a single dollar increase. They began the process of shutting factories, Skeldon, Rose Hall, Enmore and Wales were closed! This was done even though a commission which the regime set-up, headed by Dr. Clive Thomas, did not recommend any closure. During the five years they occupied the seats of power they did not give a cent increase to workers.
Up to today the fate of the industry remains uncertain became of what the PNC-APNU/AFC did. Recall too their opposition to the Value Added Tax (VAT). They argued while in opposition that the 16% was too high and promised to cut it to 8% immediately should they get into office. Lo and behold when they got into office they kept the VAT at the same rate. It took them more than three years to reduce it by 2% to 14%. However, they applied it on all the basic food items, education items and medicines that the PPP/C had zero rated. In fact, by putting VAT (14%) on the items mentioned above the PNC/APNU/AFC extracted millions of dollars from the pockets of workers in this country.
Workers and farmers of today must recall too the promise those parties made to rice farmers in that same period. They proclaimed that they would give famers $9,000 per bag of paddy. Needless to say that was another promise honoured in the breach! These are but the most recent examples of them reneging on promises and agreements reached. Their history is replete with broken agreements and promises. So workers, beware of those scammers and tricksters.
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar