ONE letter-writer asked how the Government can govern the country under the duress of the Opposition’s constant destructive, anti-developmental and unpatriotic actions.The PPP/C Administration delivered the largest Budget to have ever been presented in the National Assembly last year, but it was demolished once again by the Opposition cabal.

Each consecutive National Budget has brought a new dynamism to the developmental paradigm of Guyana, which has been accelerating at an unprecedented rate since elections of 1992 precipitated the PPP/C into Government.

This was followed by stabilised macro-economic fundamentals and sustained growth indices. In fact Guyana has consistently achieved much-lauded economic growth for the past eight years, even as many countries are facing recession on a global scale.

The discerning can draw a nexus between the PPP Party and the PPP/C Government, because it is the vision and legacy of party’s founding father, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, that is driving the phenomenal patterns of progress in this country that he loved so much.

The struggles for viability in the agricultural sector, with the focus on non-traditional crops in the industry, and the struggle by the PPP for the restoration of democratic norms and for boosting development in Guyana are symbiotic; and this does not diminish the achievements in every sector of national endeavour by the Government, because they all go in tandem.

‘The PPP/C is a governmental construct that is a vital force. It is not static and stagnant, but is like a veritable runaway train that is inexorably taking Guyana to the ultimate goal of peace, progress and prosperity, through the confluences of development with a human face…’

Every successive PPP/C budget shows clearly that the current administration works for all the people in the land without fear, favour or prejudice; except that constrained funds may sometimes force the prioritisation of projects. Thus some communities may erroneously assume that some are favoured above others. But the party of Cheddi Jagan will never discriminate between his people.

Of recent times the agricultural sector in general, and the rice industry in particular, has taken on a development trajectory directly in line with national development under the PPP/C Government.

The PPP/C is a governmental construct that is a vital force. It is not static and stagnant, but is like a veritable runaway train that is inexorably taking Guyana to the ultimate goal of peace, progress and prosperity, through the confluences of development with a human face – a concept so dear to Dr. Jagan, and which is integral to all the Government’s considerations, decisions, and actions.

Since its accession to the Administrative levels of the Guyanese nation, the PPP/C Government has achieved a near-miraculous turnaround of Guyana’s social development and economic growth – and it is a matter of public record that Guyana was worse than the famous Augean stables when the PPP/C took office in 1992.

Every sector has been catalysed through transformative processes that took our country from an international rating on development graphs as lower or on par with Haiti; but today we are ranked as a middle income country.

Our macro-economic fundamentals have been stabilised and major financing and other international bodies are lauding our prudent fiscal management, which has achieved a sustained growth rating, the Millennium Developmental Goal in food security and primary education – and we are like a runaway train to progress.

This trajectory has been sustained even in the face of a global economic crisis, which is severely and detrimentally impacting third world nations, even our CARICOM partners.

This trajectory has also been achieved and sustained despite the committed efforts by a radically unpatriotic political Opposition that seems hell-bent to stymie, and even cause retrogression, in developmental and transformational gains that this country has made especially over the last decade.

The rice sector has been achieving incrementally greater output as a direct result of Government’s interventions and facilitating measures. When one considers that during the tenure of the former PNC regime Guyana had been forced to import low-quality rice for local consumption, the progress made in this sector is amazing. Today our export market share has increased tremendously.

Because of all the facilitating mechanisms and support availed to the agriculture sector by the Government, the rice industry continues to remain one of the main pillars of the economy and continues to maintain its rating as the second most important agricultural industry in Guyana.

Indeed, Government has been the main sustainer of this sector and the administration continues to provide significant interventions in the areas of drainage and irrigation, where facilities have been considerably improved, with ongoing works being undertaken in a continuum of efforts to mitigate the effects of the climate change phenomenon and other anomalies detrimentally affecting the agricultural sector.
The runaway success in the agricultural sector is directly attributable to the liberalisation and free-trade policies initiated by the current PPP/C Administration, which has re-energised the rice industry and the entire agricultural sector.
Many key bodies have denounced the anti-developmental actions and destructive strategies, in and out of Parliament, of those whom are intent on stymieing the development of our nation and the upward mobility of our people; but Budget 2014 had proven once again that the PPP/C Administration is a Government of the people, and no negative and anti-national actions will derail this country’s developmental trajectory under a PPP/C watch.

Guyanese are anticipating with great expectations the benefits which Budget 2015 is expected to bring for them. This, however, is likely to be a long wait as a consequence of the Opposition’s gerrymandering.

Every successive PPP/C Budget has been increasing tremendously, but yet had constraints, because Guyana is yet a developing country with limited resources.

And given where this country was in 1992, to where it is today, as exemplified by each successive National Budget, Guyana is on track and cannot be derailed any longer, because every man, woman and child has been provided for in every incrementally larger budget each year.

Kudos to the Guyana Government and Dr. Ashni Singh for an exceptionally visionary and people-oriented Budget 2014; and hopefully the Opposition will let good sense prevail when Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh moves to present the National Budget this year.