– AFC executive
THE Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday called for a reformation of both the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA). The Opposition party made the call at a press conference it hosted at Side Walk Café, in Middle Street, Georgetown, to provide an explanation for the cuts it joined to make in the 2012 National Budget on Wednesday.
AFC Executive Members Khemraj Ramjattan, Moses Nagamootoo and Cathy Hughes declared it was never the intention to send people home by means of the action in Parliament.
Hughes pointed out that, during her presentation in the House, one of the first questions she asked was how much revenue was earned by NCN for the year 2011.
“The figure was a staggering $508.8M and I dare say that, if NCN wants to send home anybody, with that kind of income, it is absolutely clear that they do not have the interest of the staff at heart, because they are more than able to cover all of their costs, including employment,” she remarked.
According to her, the NCN/GINA issue is no new development for the AFC as, in 2006, the party submitted political advertisements to NCN to be played as part of its elections campaign but all were refused.
She said, in Linden, a cheque with AFC’s booking order was event sent to NCN, so that there could have been no suggestion of the party’s inability to pay.
“If we say we have a national television station, it is obligated to play ads that fit the norms of the advertising policy. There has been a clear discrimination,” Hughes maintained.

MORE EFFICIENT
Ramjattan offered that the reductions were, largely, to make more efficient the financials of each of those agencies which ought to be scrutinised by the Government – Government meaning the parliamentarians.
“We have to be far more aggressive in our pursuit of the scrutiny of these line items in the Budget. Although we are doing cuts, it is not with any intention of sending home people. There may be collateral damage to that extent but it is never the intention to send people home,” he reiterated.
Ramjattan said AFC feels that the Government is trying “to do a spin”, so as to make the party look bad.
He claimed that the two State agencies do not carry any news about the Opposition. “When it’s tax payers’ money, they must ensure that there is some equity in the way the money is spent.”
Ramjattan said the voices of the Opposition and even dissenting members of society should be made known.
He said, had the Government granted licences to television owners to go around the country, more jobs could have been created.
Nagamootoo, for his part, said the people of Guyana need a relief from their financial burdens.
“We put to the Government our concept of bringing about this relief. We think that, if they cut the VAT (Value Added Tax), to two percent, many people would find some relief when they go to shop.
“The Government says no, if they cut VAT they won’t have the money to meet other expense. We said fine. NICIL (National Industrial & Commercial Investments Limited) has billions of dollars. Take this money and bring it into the Consolidated Fund as money that people can access. They said no, they can’t do it. It’s a private company. A lot of revenue is stolen. We want accountability,” he insisted.
Continuing, Nagamootoo charged: “The GPL (Guyana Power and Light) wants to increase rates but they want to use the AFC as an excuse.”