Dear Editor,
I refer to the utterances of Minister Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Natural Resources in the Guyana Times Newspaper dated April 1, 2024. It must have been an “all fools day message” delivered to our indigenous brothers and sisters of the Rupununi; but they are no fools; they know and live the truth.
Firstly editor, the notion that the non-oil economic growth is the 2nd fastest in the world (needs to be fact checked) means nothing to most Guyanese- the working class and the poor which comprise the majority of our population. I take it that the Minister was referring to our growth in GDP. However, every economist around the world will tell you that GDP growth does not necessarily translate into a high standard of living for the citizens as is the case in Guyana. The minister should have been ashamed to regurgitate that PPP propaganda at a time when there is a huge influx of funds from oil yet Guyana has one of the worst cost-of-living crises it has ever experienced. The majority of people are struggling with meagre income, living from pay-cheque to pay-cheque (just check the ATM lines on paydays) while the top one percent friends, family and favourites of the government live comfortably.
Editor, we just saw our teachers (Indo, Afro, Indigenous, all of them) on strike for better wages for close to five weeks in the face of an uncaring government that refused to properly address their dire situation even though we are the fastest growing economy in the world according to Minister Bharrat. Thank God for Justice Kissoon who forced the government to the negotiations table.
Editor, our nurses are leaving in droves to the extent that the PPP government now intends to import nurses maybe from the slums of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
Why are they leaving this “fastest growing economy” as propagandized by Minister Vickram Bharrat? Every Guyanese knows the answer. They want a liveable wage, a comfortable work environment free from discrimination and victimization, and a country where there is good governance so that they can live a safe and comfortable life. Unfortunately, under this PPP government, the situation in Guyana is quite the opposite.
Minister Vickram Bharrat, according to the article, told the indigenous people of Region 9 that, “ Today as Guyanese we can boast that we have the fastest growing economy in the world”.
Editor, sadly our Indigenous people across this country are still amongst the poorest of people in our society today. Many still can’t afford to eat three square meals per day or afford to send their children to school. There is absolutely nothing for them to boast about!
Editor, now I will address the stacked propaganda added to support this incompetent government in their quest to deceive the nation. Firstly, the article points us to the so-called 28% growth recorded last year for sugar, moving up from 47,049 tonnes in 2022 to 60,204 tonnes in 2023 and the 7% expansion in rice production from 610,595 to 653,706 tonnes. Editor, I want to remind the nation that with only three estates (Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt) functioning, the APNUAFC produced 92,246 tonnes in 2019. When the PPP were installed into office, their incompetence forced GUYSUCO to slash the production target down to 70,000 tonnes in2021; but even that they failed miserably to achieve. In the end, the actual production was almost 50% less than that obtained under the APNUAFC. 2022 production targets were worse, only 47,049 tonnes as admitted in the Guyana Times article. Now after spending close to forty billion dollars and reopening two other estates they shamelessly tell the nation about this misleading 28% growth of the industry after producing a dismal 60,204 tonnes, 33% less than the 2019 figure.
Editor, as it relates to rice, again the situation is quite similar. In 2019 the coalition had a record production of 682,419 metric tonnes now the PPP boasts about an increase from 610,595 metric tonnes in 2022 to 653,706 metric tonnes in 2023 – a difference of almost 30,000 metric tonnes below the APNU/AFC figures. No wonder the populace cannot relate to this talk of fastest growing economy.
According to the article, these two sectors that underperformed when comparing them with the APNUAFC; these lower production figures account for 25% growth in manufacturing.
Editor, the Minister of Natural Resources claimed to our indigenous brothers and sisters of Region 9 that the growth in the non-oil sector is not because of oil but the “stellar” management of the economy by President Ali, VP Jagdeo and the cabinet. However, in glaring contradiction to this statement, the very article in the Guyana Times talked briefly about the mining and quarry sector growing by a whopping 42.6% in 2023 due “mainly to the burgeoning oil and gas industry”.
Additionally, in another contrasting statement, the article rightfully claims that gold mining (the same gold that was responsible for our economy’s growth prior to the discovery of oil) has now declined by a whopping 32% from 634,925 ounces to 432,113 ounces on account of a 70% reduction in declaration from small and medium scale miners. Editor, these are indisputable facts which lead me to conclude that Guyana is worse off under this PPP government and the whole talk about fastest growing economy and second fastest growing non-oil economy has little or no positive impact on the livelihood of the majority of Guyanese.
Sincerely,
Shurwayne Holder
Shadow Minister of Natural Resources
