KINDLY publish this letter which seeks to find some ‘rationality’ in the spate of irrational ‘budget cuts’ spearheaded by opposition party in Parliament-the Alliance For Change. It is also now etched in the history of this nation that this political party with a mere seven seats can sow so much confusion that the country’s Opposition- the APNU (PNC) whose functions have been usurped by the AFC- is quite happy to relinquish the same and carries along quite happily while the AFC is basking in this newly acquired ‘cutting power’.

APNU is most willing to sit and wait!
The PNC knows that when the smoke of battle is settled and the PPP/C  is destroyed, that the PNC will once again be the government – and this time for life! The PNC knows that the AFC will never be able to acquire the required number of seats to form the government and that the AFC will not form a coalition with the APNU before an election, because of the fear of losing their support base in Berbice. Therefore, in such a scenario where the Constitution does not provide for a post-election coalition, the AFC will only serve to strengthen the monster if the electorate does not fully comprehend what is the current political situation in this country.
I have emphatically stated in my letter dated May 3,2013 that the budget cuts are both unconscionable and unconstitutional and dealt at length with the unconstitutional nature of those ‘cuts’.
These budget cuts are meant to hit at the core of national development and the intention is to make the country ungovernable. This same intention was present when the PNC shamelessly took to the streets, igniting havoc, fear and violence with their ‘slo fyah mo fyah’ slogan. But after Linden and Agricola, the AFC has decided that that modus operandi is too apparent and should be superseded by ‘scissorsing the budget’, targeting the wheels of national development. This will force the PPP/C to buckle under pressure.
This can be clearly seen in the GPL budget cut. Every Guyanese know that power /electricity makes up a large percentage of the cost of production of all goods produced and services provided, hence, if these costs go up, then the prices of goods and services will go up. Nagamootoo’s ‘coconut vendor’ will raise the price for his/her coconuts since the transportation costs to bring them from Charity to Georgetown will increase drastically. Moreover, not only businesses but householders will also have to pay more for electricity. This will then erode whatever wage increases were given to them- their disposable incomes will shrink and hence their standards of living will plummet. The people will become discontented. This will make the people angry, protests will result and the AFC and APNU will be in the forefront blaming the PPP/C Government and agitate for their removal. So there is a political agenda in these cuts!
The AFC was in Berbice recently, trying to give rational reasons for their ‘budget cuts’ and the main reason given by Mr Moses Nagamootoo was that ‘billions of dollars’ will be stolen through various contracts. I cannot recall that reason being given in his budget presentation. If the AFC or APNU is so sure about stealing, then they should institute private criminal proceedings against the perpetrators so that our courts can once and for all bring a closure to these allegations. We cannot afford to have national development stymied by these accusations. The joint opposition had an opportunity to prove corruption allegations on national television and could not do it. They proved that corruption was only a ‘perception’.
Mr. Nagamootoo, an attorney by profession, stated in his budget speech that “The couple over the road from my chambers selling water coconuts, who travels every week from Charity to Georgetown, makes a profit.  “The young lady, over the road, who sells sweets and drinks off an old fridge, makes a profit. But the multi-billion giant that sells electricity to all the people of Guyana is broke! Guybroke!” Guyanese should understand that this is a completely flawed argument! “The couple” and the “Young lady” are not regulated by the Public Utilities Commission, there is no ceiling on the price they can charge Nagamootoo and others! Furthermore, when “coconuts”, “sweets” and “drinks” costs increase, the “couple” and the “young lady” will increase their prices accordingly! The costs will be passed on to consumers! But lo and behold! Since 2008 despite the exorbitant fuel prices, the PPP/C government not only subsidised the fuel cost by reducing the consumption tax, but has subsidised GPL so that the increased costs do not burden the consumers and industries.
Next, Guyanese need to understand that the present GPL was in a crippled condition when it was operating under the PNC Government as the GEC and it was in this crippled state that the PPP/C inherited it. Much needed capital expenditures were not done. This was the same with GUYSUCO-the industry had to fork out billions of dollars as the sugar levy to fund PNC “black holes.” It was then that it was GUYFUCO Moses! It was funding the PNC!
It must be brought to the attention of the Guyanese people that GPL has been making between 2- 4 billion dollars losses each year due to increased fuel prices and losses due to obsolete capital items.
Over the years, 2008 to 2012, the fuel bill rose from $US60 million to  $US120 million,  but the government kept electricity rates stable by subsidising it and despite rational explanations given by the Honourable Prime Minister Mr. Samuel Hinds and explicit statistical evidence provided by GPL’s CEO Mr. Bharat Dindyal, the AFC refused to accept such explanations and evidence and blinded by subjective ulterior motives, they ‘scissored’ the pockets of the poor class of people of this country!
Lastly, the government did explain that the money to carry out capital expenditures and working capital to carry out such works would have come from three sources including the Chinese Import and Export Bank and the IDB. These loans will be at concessionary rates of between 1-2% and will have long repayment periods of between 20-40 years with moratoriums on repayment.
I appeal to all rational-minded Guyanese to reject these ‘budget cuts’ that will only result in catapulting this nation back into the PNC ‘black hole’ era!