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THE Minister of Finance must be congratulated for crafting a budget which continues to reflect the PPP/C government’s commitment to the social and economic development of all Guyanese. This budget is indeed people oriented since it caters for every sector of the society. However, I am perturbed by the bullying antics that are being displayed by the combined opposition of the APNU and the AFC. The oppressive and destabilising attitude of the Hoyte and Corbin era is not dead. It’s being kept alive and nurtured by Granger and aided and abetted by his new-found ally, Ramjattan of the AFC. This is evidenced in their declared intent to cut Budget 2013 in key areas such as agriculture, GuySuCo, which is one of the major foreign exchange earners, and also electricity, just to mention a few.
This is a deliberate plan by the opposition to derail or stymie the developmental process of the nation and which, in the final analysis, will harm the livelihoods of all Guyanese. This is evil, wicked and unpatriotic and must be condemned by all and sundry.
What is even more disturbing is the fact that the Low Carbon Development Strategy(LCDS) has been indentified by the opposition to be ‘scissored’. Under the LCDS, the developmental plans and projects of all Amerindian communities will be funded.
We, the Amerindians of Region 2, are eagerly awaiting the passage of the budget so that funds could be disbursed for our projects, thus our lives could be further improved. It is well known that Amerindians were grossly neglected and exploited, beginning from Walter Raleigh and continuing under the repressive and dictatorial rule of successive PNC governments.
Today, we can boast that every facet of our socio-economic well-being has been transformed – health, education, agriculture, water and housing and electrification etc, etc.
Thanks to the PPP/C for their love and care for the Amerindians. In order to further enhance the lives of Amerindians, allocations in budget 2013 are as follows: $77.9 million has been allocated to the Land Titling and Demarcation Programme; $350 million is provided to finance the implementation of 180 community development plans; $66 million has been allocated to the benefit of 388 hinterland students; $200 million has been allocated to support an Amerindian Youth entrepreneurship and apprenticeship scheme; and $500 million has been allocated to roll out the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF)programme to Amerindian villages.
Mr Editor, we will not sit idly by and allow APNU and the AFC to make us ‘collateral damage’ in their quest for political power. Some of us were fooled in 2011 by their sweet and enticing language.
We will not be fooled again! We resolutely support the Budget 2013 come what may. We will intensify our struggles to obliterate the opposition parties from amongst the Amerindian communities.
This is a deliberate plan by the opposition to derail or stymie the developmental process of the nation and which, in the final analysis, will harm the livelihoods of all Guyanese. This is evil, wicked and unpatriotic and must be condemned by all and sundry.
What is even more disturbing is the fact that the Low Carbon Development Strategy(LCDS) has been indentified by the opposition to be ‘scissored’. Under the LCDS, the developmental plans and projects of all Amerindian communities will be funded.
We, the Amerindians of Region 2, are eagerly awaiting the passage of the budget so that funds could be disbursed for our projects, thus our lives could be further improved. It is well known that Amerindians were grossly neglected and exploited, beginning from Walter Raleigh and continuing under the repressive and dictatorial rule of successive PNC governments.
Today, we can boast that every facet of our socio-economic well-being has been transformed – health, education, agriculture, water and housing and electrification etc, etc.
Thanks to the PPP/C for their love and care for the Amerindians. In order to further enhance the lives of Amerindians, allocations in budget 2013 are as follows: $77.9 million has been allocated to the Land Titling and Demarcation Programme; $350 million is provided to finance the implementation of 180 community development plans; $66 million has been allocated to the benefit of 388 hinterland students; $200 million has been allocated to support an Amerindian Youth entrepreneurship and apprenticeship scheme; and $500 million has been allocated to roll out the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF)programme to Amerindian villages.
Mr Editor, we will not sit idly by and allow APNU and the AFC to make us ‘collateral damage’ in their quest for political power. Some of us were fooled in 2011 by their sweet and enticing language.
We will not be fooled again! We resolutely support the Budget 2013 come what may. We will intensify our struggles to obliterate the opposition parties from amongst the Amerindian communities.
