…Ramjattan reels out achievements of coalition at campaign launch

…says place for everyone in “new Guyana” under the Pres. Granger administration

NOTING that Guyana is sitting at the threshold of greatness, Alliance For Change (AFC) leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, urged supporters of the coalition government to see that the administration is re-elected, as he noted that it is one which caters for all Guyanese.

Ramjattan was at the time addressing a mammoth crowd of the APNU+AFC supporters who gathered on Friday afternoon at D’Urban Park where the coalition launched its March 2020 elections campaign.

“We don’t care from which race, religion or region you come from,” Ramjattan said, adding that in the “new Guyana” under the David Granger-administration, there is a place for everyone.

He said that in 2015, the coalition started a new chapter which saw the administration picking-up the broken pieces and rebuilding a new Guyana. He said come March 2, Guyana will go to the polls and renew their hope in the coalition, to loud applause from the large gathering.

Given the amount of work it has amassed in a short space of time, Ramjattan said the APNU+AFC is strengthening the foundation of the Guyana economy. He said the coalition is enhancing the country’s accountability record with the highest best practices.

“We have done much but there is a lot more to do,” Ramjattan’s voice echoed across D’Urban Park as he spoke on the record of the government. He said that with more time, the coalition will give more to the populace adding that the multi-party body is “here to stay”, and is one which will create a strong Guyana.

He said the APNU+AFC wants to build-up the country to the state where everyone has an equal opportunity to realise their full potential. He said that the government’s vision for Guyana embraces diverse faiths and religious groups, and their harmonious interaction with each other as those groups build stronger and cohesive communities.

Ramjattan said the nation’s youth constitute the largest portion of the population and continue to face challenges in advancing their ideas and dreams. To this end, he said the next coalition government will do far more to address the issue. “Young people we will have a resplendent revenue stream to implement these policies; the oil and gas revenue stream,” he said, as the crowd screamed in applause.

He said with the use of technology and increase scholarships, the government will train the next generation of petroleum engineers and other skilled personnel which the oil and gas industry requires. “We want to wean the next generation away from cane-cutting, a place that the PPP wants to put them back,” he said.

He said that in the last four years, the government started a programme to make fundamental changes to Guyana’s economy. “We can proudly claim that our record of achievements in four years have  out-performed the PPP’s 23 years of blunders,” he said, adding that government  has increased the minimum wage by 77 per cent over the past four years from $39,500 to $70,000. To this end, he said the government has released thousands of Guyanese from paying income tax.

He urged supporters to understand that Guyanese must not “stop the progress”, a chant he made for the remainder of his presentation as he highlighted moves made by the administration over the past four years to develop Guyana.

Ramjattan said the choice of the electorate at this year’s elections is clear. He said on the one said there is President Granger whom he noted is properly qualified and certified and whom he noted led Guyana to tremendous progress thus far.

On the other hand, he said the PPP’s presidential candidate possess questionable qualifications and is being controlled by the party’s leader, Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo.

He said the PPP is banking off short-term memory but he noted that prior to the APNU+AFC assuming office, it discovered outright corruption, flagrant racism and victimisation, high fees at the University of Guyana, among many other short-comings of the PPP.

“They are plastering Georgetown saying they will reduce VAT, but who brought VAT to Guyana?” he asked as supporters applauded.

Ramjattan told the crowd that the APNU+AFC represents the best choice for Guyana, one of hope prosperity, opportunities for all adding that the multi-party group is led by President Granger, whom he noted is undoubtedly “fit and proper.”